The Featherweight fight between Cub Swanson and Doo Ho Choi at UFC 206, which took place inside Air Canada Centre in Toronto, Canada, this past weekend (Sat., Dec. 10, 2016), was straight up fire. Both 145-pound standouts bit down on their mouthpieces and went toe-to-toe, shot-for-shot for 15 insane minutes (watch highlights here) to more than likely deliver the “Fight of the Year.”
It was near-impossible to do the fight any justice in the form of words as it was unfolding — there were too many dramatic ebbs and flows to describe. The action was so fast-paced, with both fighters at times on the verge of victory and defeat, the only thing to do was just sit back and marvel at the break-neck madness.
In the end, Swanson’s “creative combinations and comfort in brawls” led him to a unanimous decision victory (see scorecards here) over “Korean Superboy.” But, it’s a fight that even Swanson himself can’t believe actually went to the judges in hindsight.
“Definitely [have] not [faced anyone as durable as Choi], Swanson told Luke Thomas on his Sirius XM show. “I was telling my coaches backstage that I don’t even try to hit a heavy bag that hard. I remember wanting to turn around a couple of times. Toward the end, I had him on the fence, I wanted to turn around and look at the ref, like, ‘Are you serious?’ But, he just kept reviving.”
.@CubSwanson on @KoreanSuperBoy7's chin strength: "I don't even try to hit a heavy bag that hard" @SBNLukeThomas https://t.co/39xKZCudp8
— MMA on SiriusXM (@MMAonSiriusXM) December 13, 2016
The chin, heart and toughness that Choi demonstrated in defeat has likely endeared him even more to mixed martial arts (MMA) fans. He took a big risk when he called out the top-ranked Swanson and then did everything possible to score a knockout rather than play it safe and defeat him on points.
And, fortunately, it seems like he’s taking it all in stride.
Of course, an extra $50,000 bonus helps, too.