In a fight that felt like it was a decade in the making, featherweights Cub Swanson and Darren Elkins faced off early on the UFC Vegas 45 main card on Saturday.
The wait proved worth it by the end of what turned out to be a short night.
Swanson had seen a two-fight win streak snapped when he was stopped by Giga Chikadze earlier this year. Elkins, meanwhile, had won two straight, most recently defeating Darrick Minner this past July. But it was “Killer” Cub taking back momentum on Saturday.
As the bell rang, both men wasted no time, feeling each other out. Elkins landed a big right hand at the 4:30 mark. Swanson was far from deterred though, and came back with his own combos dropping Elkins and sending him tumbling with a solid left hand. Swanson continued have his way with Elkins, eventually landing a wheel kick that led to Herb Dean stopping the fight at 2:48 of the opening round.
𝐊𝐈𝐋𝐋𝐄𝐑. 𝐂𝐔𝐁. 𝐒𝐖𝐀𝐍𝐒𝐎𝐍 💥
[ @CubSwanson | #UFCVegas45 ] pic.twitter.com/JS2r4N5Aoi
— UFC (@ufc) December 19, 2021
Swanson achieved an emphatic win over a tough opponent, improving his record to 28-12 and winning three of his last four. Elkins is now 27-10 with this loss and snapped his two-fight winning streak in the loss. Swanson continues to show that he still one the toughest guys in the UFC, and hasn’t lost a step.
Official Result: Cub Swanson def. Darren Elkins by TKO (spinning wheel kick/punches), Round 1, 2:12
