While he may be one of the hottest featherweights in the UFC at the moment, Cub Swanson almost didn't earn the opportunity to prove himself inside the Octagon.

While preparing for his UFC debut against Erik Koch in the summer of 2011, the Palm Beach native fractured his face in a gruesome freaking sparring injury while training at Greg Jackson's gym, which required metal plates being inserted to repair the damage.

It got so bad Swanson even considered calling it quits, according to his comments at the UFC on FUEL TV 7 post-fight press conference:

"With my injury, I almost retired. Every fight, I take it like it's my last. I know with another serious injury, I'm not going to be doing this anymore. I want everybody to feel what I went through."

Thankfully Swanson pushed past the pain and is currently riding a four fight winning streak inside the Octagon which includes three second round TKOs in a row as well as a unanimous decision victory over fellow top contender Dustin Poirier in the co-main event of UFC on Fuel TV 7 this past Saturday (Feb. 16, 2013).

Perhaps that feeling of wanting to take his frustrations out and make his opponents feel the pain of his fractured face has been the key to his recent success.