Cub Swanson’s swan song is complete. The last active fighter of the WEC era, Swanson turned back the clock in his retirement fight. Swanson bottled up everything that made him great and displayed it on Nate Landwehr at UFC 327 in Miami. The result was a fitting first-round, walk-off knockout for the “Killer” Cubs.
Swanson was in rare form for his final fight. He did everything that makes him one of the best players never to win a world title. Swanson moved forward with his hands down, putting pressure on Landwehr and never allowing “The Train” to move forward. His head movement, footwork, speed and power belie the fact that Swanson is 42 years old. Landwehr was repeatedly shaken and knocked down by shots he could not see coming.
After the final knockdown, Swanson defiantly raised his hands. Referee Herb Dean trusted Swanson’s intuition and called off the fight. The official’s decision was immediately vindicated as a clearly dazed Landwehr tried to wrestle Dean into his half of the Octagon.
Swanson (31-14) retires with consecutive KO wins. His beloved career includes fights with four UFC champions, including a KO victory over current BMF champion Charles Oliveira. Swanson also defeated former interim lightweight titleholder Dustin Poirier. His fight with “The Korean Super Boy” Doo-ho Choi was widely considered the Fight of the Year of 2016 and one of the best fights of all time. He hung up the gloves almost 22 years after making his professional mixed martial arts debut.
