UFC Vegas 45: Cub Swanson Reflects On The Five Year Anniversary Of His Fight Of The Year With Doo Ho Choi

Las Vegas, NV — It has been five years since Cub Swanson’s epic fight with Doo Ho Choi, and the memorable contest is still special to him.

December 10, 2021 marked the fifth anniversary of the date on which Swanson (27-10) and Choi went to war at UFC 206. The pair of fighters earned Fight of the Night honors and then went on to win Fight of the Year from many different media outlets.

At this week’s UFC Vegas 45 media day, Swanson reflected on the fight.

“It was a great fight. There were so many people there. It was the biggest crowd that I fought in front of; it was the loudest crowd I fought in front of; it was a special night. It was one of the most nervous I’ve ever been before a fight. I just remember being backstage with Tim Kennedy, Cowboy [Cerrone], Lando Vannata. We were all from the same camp, and just the pressure in the room was crazy. It probably would have been better if I was in a different room. I just remember going out there, and at some point, it turned into a crazy scrap,” Swanson told Cageside Press at UFC Vegas 45 media day on Wednesday.

“After the fight— it’s something I don’t talk about enough, but I remember walking out of the octagon, and every single person backstage was staring at me, like, I’ve never had that, where I come out of a fight, and everyone is just looking at you.” Swanson wasn’t sure at the time what was behind that reaction. “I don’t know if they were terrified or shocked; it was weird. I got that from everybody for like two weeks; people were just staring at me; I thought I had blood on my face or something. It was a unique experience, and I definitely treasure that fight for many, many reasons.”

Swanson returns to action against Darren Elkins this Saturday at UFC Vegas 45, in a fight that could have easily taken place a decade ago.

Watch the rest of Swanson’s UFC Vegas 45 media day interview above. More coverage of the event, which takes place this Saturday, December 18, 2021 at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas, NV, can be found below.