The UFC has announced the main event for December’s UFC Fresno Fight Night card. In a statement released Tuesday, the promotion unveiled that popular featherweight Cub Swanson will take on Brian Ortega at the show, which takes place December 9 at the Save Mart Center in Fresno, CA.
Swanson (25–7) was last seen in April when he defeated Artem Lobov in the main event of UFC Fight Night 108. That bout earned Swanson Fight of the Night honors, the second straight fight in which he’d won a Fight of the Night bonus. The previous bonus winning occassion? Swanson vs. “The Korean Superboy” Doo-ho Choi at UFC 206, which turned out to be Fight of the Year.
Of late, Swanson has talked about fighting out his contract and potentially signing elsewhere. He would be a huge addition to a promotion like Bellator MMA’s ranks, though it remains to be seen if the UFC will open up its wallets and pay out to retain the services of the flashy, creative striker. Swanson is currently on a four fight win streak, but has been historically snubbed when it comes to title talk. His loss would be a definite blow to the company’s roster, as he remains one of the most exciting fighters to watch.
Brian Ortega (12–0 (1)) is nearly perfect in his career, with the only blemish on his record being a 2014 No Contest resulting from a positive drug test for drostanolone. Since returning from suspension for that failed test, Ortega has won four straight bouts in the UFC. Most recently, he choked out Renato Moicano at UFC 214 this past July. Ortega, however, has yet to face a fighter of Swanson’s caliber; this bout should go a long way to determining whether he’s ready for the top of the featherweight division, win or lose.
UFC Fresno (numerically UFC Fight Night 123) goes down December 9 at the Save Mart Center in Fresno, California.A bantamweight scrap featuring Brian Caraway vs. Luke Sanders has also been added to the card, per a recent report by ESPN.
