4/19/17 , By: The Fight Scholar – Cub Swanson returns to the octagon this Saturday for the first time since defeating Doo Ho Choi, Swanson vs Choi was an all time classic which will surely take the fight of the year award. Prior to the bout, many saw it as a passing of the torch. Choi called Swanson out specifically but he soon found out there was still enough fight in the old dog to keep the young Korean prospect at bay.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0UJCklJfiN4
Out of all the fighters in the UFC that have never fought for a UFC title, there’s very few if any with a record as good as Cub Swanson. His UFC record currently stands at 9-3, those three losses have come to fighters in the top half of the featherweight rankings. Swanson has an eye-catching style, often throwing risky unorthodox techniques to finish his opponents. That unique style makes his fights must-watch entertainment.
Artem Lobov is a member of the team at SBG alongside Conor McGregor & Gunnar Nelson.
Lobov’s last encounter against Teruto Ishihara in Northern Ireland was the best performance of his career so far. Taking home the win with a unanimous decision victory. The Ultimate Fighter 22 finalist has an MMA record of 13-12, at 30 years of age, this is a moment in his career at which he requires a win to assert himself as a threat to top-tier featherweights.
Potential fight of the nightÂ
Diego Sanchez is a long time fan favorite, a rare breed of fighter who’s easily one of the most popular guys in all of MMA. The reason for his popularity is simple, the man doesn’t know how to play it safe. I can’t recall a Diego Sanchez fight that wasn’t worth watching, this fight should be no exception. Iaquinta doesn’t quite have the same reputation for being a crowd pleaser however, he does like to stand and trade which is all you need from an opponent of Diego Sanchez to produce fireworks.
Al Iaquinta has been away from competition since April 2015, contract disputes with the UFC leaving him in limbo. Before the two-year absence, Iaquinta was riding a 4 fight win streak steadily establishing himself as a lightweight contender. In Diego Sanchez, he’s got an ideal adversary to show everybody exactly what they’ve been missing.
Main card predictionsÂ
Cub Swanson vs Artem Lobov (Swanson)
Al Iaquinta vs Diego Sanchez (Iaquinta)
Ovince Saint Preux vs Marcos Rogerio de Lima (OSP)
John Dodson vs Eddie Wineland (Dodson)
Joe Lauzon vs Stevie Ray (Ray)
Jake Ellenberger vs Mike Perry (Perry)
