Cub Swanson with something to prove is a dangerous man.

The featherweight staple has held status as one of the best 145-pound fighters on the planet for the better part of the past decade. Over the course of his career, Swanson has stood toe-to-toe with a stream of elite-level talent and has found victory at a steady clip throughout.

Nevertheless, a rough patch in 2015 forced Swanson to take a hard look at his career in the fight business. Title shots that were promised yet never developed and an upper-tier role in flux due to back-to-back losses signaled the end of Swanson's time as a championship contender.

"Killer Cub" needed to reclaim the fire that made him one of the most feared strikers in the featherweight division, and his 2016 campaign has provided proof of that rediscovery.

The SoCal representative carried a two-fight winning streak and a chip on his shoulder into his bout with Doo Ho Choi at UFC 206 this past Saturday.


Dec 9, 2016; Toronto, ON, Canada; Cub Swanson and Dooho Choi (right) pose as UFC President Dana WHite looks on during weigh ins for UFC 206 at Air Canada Centre. Mandatory Credit: Tom Szczerbowski-USA TODAY Sports

The South Korean upstart not only called Swanson out for the fight, but the longtime veteran also found himself a heavy underdog going into Toronto. Those elements set the stage for Swanson to remind the fight game--and his opponent--just how vicious he can be, and the result was truly something special.

"I saw the callout as a sign of disrespect," Swanson told FloCombat. "They keep trying to say it was a sign of respect, but the truth is he could have called out anybody. He chose me, and I used that as fuel for the fire but also as a test to myself. I had gone against two grapplers who wanted to do what Frankie [Edgar] had done to me, and I was able to show my improvements and win in convincing fashion.

"With this opponent, it reminded me of my loss to Max [Holloway], and it motivated me to go out there and prove I'm still a very dangerous striker even though he said I wasn't. And I think I showed that."

The anticipation for the matchup continued to climb in the build to UFC 206, so much, in fact, Swanson versus Choi was deemed "The People's Main Event." The seasoned veteran looking to further his road back to title contention would step in against the highly touted prospect already deemed a star by UFC President Dana White.

The bout had all the makings for an instant classic, and that's precisely what occurred during the 15 minutes the two men shared inside the Octagon. Swanson worked a full-throttled offensive assault, and Choi weathered the storms to return with heavy shots of his own.

The back-and-forth affair became the very definition of grit, and it was Swanson's versatility and resilience that carried him to victory.


Dec 10, 2016; Toronto, ON, CAN; Cub Swanson (red gloves) fights Dooho Choi (blue gloves) during UFC 206 at Air Canada Centre. Mandatory Credit: Tom Szczerbowski-USA TODAY Sports

"I definitely feel it was all there," Swanson said. "Towards the end of the camp, we had been working on strategy, but I kept saying at some point I think I'm going to have to get dirty with this guy. I felt like everything we were working was going to be effective in chipping away at him, but I couldn't see him going away.

"My plan was to chip away at him and then get him into a brawl when he doesn't feel as sharp as he did in the first round because all of his fights have ended there. That was definitely the game plan, and the closer I got to the fight the more I knew it was going to turn into a brawl. I was mentally and physically prepared for it to happen."

Social media platforms exploded during the fight and continued to do so long after the battle had concluded. Swanson and Choi received praise from all corners of the MMA community, and the love extended well into other areas of entertainment.

For a fighter whose quest for respect was one of the longest running narratives of his career, Swanson could have put his signature modesty aside and taken a more brash road. But that just isn't how the 33-year-old featherweight is wired.

"Styles make fights, and he was a game opponent," Swanson said. "His strengths were my strengths, and we were both willing to lay it all on the line. I think that was the biggest factor in that stylistically it made for a great matchup. I'm pretty proud of the fight, and it took place in front of the biggest crowd I'd ever competed in front of.

"Taking those things into consideration and the fact I was surprisingly a 3 to 1 underdog had me ready to go. In the madness of it all, I was throwing combinations I'd never thrown before outside of the gym. Throwing spinning back elbows from out of nowhere with [Brandon] Gibson and working combinations after exchanges and offbeat punches all took shape.

"I remember throwing a 1-2 and him expecting me to throw another one, but I went 1-2-2-1 and that combination rocked him and threw him off. There were so many subtle things I worked on and was able to pull off when it mattered meant a lot to me. I'm very proud that showed in my performance."


Dec 10, 2016; Toronto, ON, CAN; Cub Swanson (red gloves) fights Dooho Choi (blue gloves) during UFC 206 at Air Canada Centre. Mandatory Credit: Tom Szczerbowski-USA TODAY Sports

With the victory over Choi at UFC 206, Swanson was able to put a maestro's touch on a perfect 2016 campaign. Three-straight wins brought him back from the brink of obscurity and re-stamped his place among the divisional elite.

Swanson has zero doubt his work this year has put him in line for a high-profile tilt to kick off 2017, and he's more than willing to allow the right fight to materialize. Swanson has no interest in fighting for the sake of competition and will sit back and enjoy the fruits of his labor until the proper matchup comes front and center.

"I have a lot of things going on," Swanson explained. "After a fight like that I don't have any desire to just jump back in there and just fight anyone. I believe I've shown the improvements have been made, and I'm just waiting for a big fight. I feel one is coming my way, and I'm willing to wait it out. The title fight [between Jose Aldo and Max Holloway] is probably going to happen, and if either one of them can't make it, I'm right there.

"I'm going to take a little time off and enjoy my family. I'm going to get back into the gym the first of the year and stay in shape. I'm going to stay active with nothing specific in mind. If they come at me with something big I'll be excited and ready for it."

FloCombat's hottest content, delivered to your inbox

Don't miss breaking news, feature stories, event updates, and more. Sign up for the FloCombat mailing list today.