Veteran Featherweight Cub Swanson returns to the 145-pound division after a one-fight absence to square off with Hakeem Dawodu of Canada in a battle to return to the win column for the two fighters. 39-year-old Swanson has been fighting professionally since 2004. Dawodu still has some years to go and is undoubtedly the fresher of the two fighters. Swansea vs. Dawodu is the co-main event of UFC on ESPN: Luque vs. dos Anjos held at the Apex this weekend.
MMA: UFC Featherweight
Venue: UFC Apex, Las Vegas, USA
Where to watch: ESPN/ESPN+
Date: 13.08.2023. 04.00
Cub Swanson
The American debuted in the UFC in 2011 with a loss against Erik Koch. Since then, he has won a slate of awards and records in the promotion. The California-born fighter is tied for the most Post-Fight bonuses in UFC Featherweight division history and the second most knockouts in UFC Featherweight history. His 2016 Match against Doo Ho Choi has become legendary, named ESPN Fight of the Year. 3-1 in his last four Featherweight matches and 3-2 in his last five overall, the “Killer” has lost against some of the best fighters in the division in recent times, indicating that his time is almost up. However, he’s still a gritty fighter, staunch on his feet and capable of going to the ground.
Tale of the tape
- Age: 32
- Height: 5’ 8”
- Reach: 73”
- Record: 13-3-1 (Draw)
I respect him; I think he’s dangerous, but I know that I match up well. I know I need to fear my opponent a little bit because that little bit of fear means they live in your head, and they make you prep.
Hakeem Dawodu
Dropping his UFC debut in 2018 against Danny Henry, Hakeem Dawodu went on a five-fight winning streak stretching across two years. The Canadian is an accomplished Muay Thai and Kickboxing professional. He was introduced to Muay Thai to help manage his anger as a teenager. The 32-year-old is 1-2 in his last three fights, dropping a decision against Julian Erosa last September. “Mean Hakeem” has not fought in over ten months.
Tale of the tape
- Age: 39
- Height: 5’ 8”
- Reach: 70”
- Record: 28-13
Instead of thinking, ‘Naw, I’m good; I did enough,’ it’s ‘I need to be in the gym.’ That’s what you need because this is a sport with psychos. The best fighters are the ones you have to kick out of the gym. I jokingly talk about that with my fighters: ‘You gotta have the sickness, man. You gotta be a little crazy. You gotta want it so much more than everyone else.
Betting Odds
Hakeem Dawodu is the surprising favorite of the sportsbooks. He is priced at 1.41 on Marathonbet, with the underdog at 2.77 odds. A decision win is 1.85 on 1XBET, with a decision for Cub Swanson priced at 4.7. Looking to bet the total rounds, Bet365 lists over 2.5 at 1.7 odds and the under at 2.00.
Bet on Cub Swanson vs. Hakeem Dawodu with 1xBet
