Monday Morning Hangover: What’s next for Cub Swanson after loss to Brian Ortega at UFC Fresno?

Another weekend of fisticuffs has come and gone, as UFC Fight Night 123 blew the roof off Save Mart Arena last Saturday night (Dec. 9, 2017) in Fresno, California.

Plenty of fighters were left licking their wounds, including Jason Knight, who was picked apart by Gabriel Benitez in the co-main event of the evening (recap here). And Aljamain Sterling, who was viciously knocked out by Marlon Moraes thanks to a well-placed knee to the face (see it again here).

But which fighter is suffering from the worst post-fight hangover now two days removed from the show?

Cub Swanson.

Prior to going into his fight against Ortega, Cub had a tough decision to make regarding his UFC future, as his bout against “T-City” was the final one on his current contract with the world’s leading mixed martial arts (MMA) promotion.

Cub, though, opted to fight out his deal in hopes of seeing what kind of offers he would receive on the free agent market. Unfortunately for “Killer Cub,” the dice came up craps, as he was submitted by Ortega in the second round of their Featherweight scrap.

Relive it here.

But, not all is lost for Swanson, as UFC president Dana White revealed during his post-fight interview that he wanted Cub to stay with the promotion despite the loss, going as far as telling him that they would get a deal done through the cage.

And during the post-fight presser, Cub said he’d be willing to sign a deal, but wasn’t too sure if the deal he rejected prior to his loss would still be on the table.

“Let’s make a deal right now, but do I crawl back and say, ‘I’ll take that deal that you offered me that I said no to,’ we’ll see,” said Swanson. “I’m going to enjoy family over Christmas and all that and try not to be in low spirits because I felt I fought great, I just didn’t get the ending I wanted to,” he concluded.

While his title shots may have been creamed for the time being, Cub can find solace in knowing the promotion still has love for him. Whether or not they come to a mutual financial understanding, remains to be seen.

If they do, I wouldn’t mind seeing Swanson take on Jose Aldo next. I mean, it makes sense on many fronts. Both are coming off devastating losses, and Cub has longed for a do-over against “Scarface” in an attempt to get some revenge for an eight-second knockout loss he suffered to the Brazilian at WEC 41.

Sure, Swanson wanted the fight went Aldo was at the top, but since both men have “L’s” in their last outings, neither of them are in a position for a championship fight anytime soon.

Book it.

For complete UFC Fight Night 123 results and coverage click here.