Can Cub Swanson Beat Frankie Edgar?

By Kevin Davidson on October 19, 2014

I don’t know why, but when I think about the featherweight division, the last fighter that usually comes to mind is Frankie Edgar. For a fighter, that is probably a worrying thought, especially one as talented and respected as Edgar. But with all the uproar about Conor McGregor, Dustin Poirier and Cub Swanson, the featherweight division is in a major popularity contest for a title shot. However, this is a sport, and I think a win is more important than talking on the mic and gaining fans.

No matter what, if I were a featherweight fighter, I would be terrified to fight Edgar. He is like some monstrous entity that has been silently waiting in the shadows and has just now chosen to emerge and wreak havoc on a division that was lining up nicely. Edgar was an undisputed lightweight champion at a time when the lightweight division was so stacked with talent that title contenders were changed after every UFC event. He went — and almost won — five full rounds with featherweight champion Jose Aldo. He’s taken some shots that would put heavyweights out. And now Cub Swanson has drawn the short straw to face Edgar.

Swanson has been on a tear lately and has looked better in every fight. The real question is, can he beat Edgar and gain the keys to the title shot that he has worked so hard for? Not likely. Swanson has serious punching power, but I doubt that he can knock out Edgar. We have just seen Edgar come back from the brink of defeat against stronger and more powerful opponents. Swanson can’t out-wrestle Edgar, either. Submit him? I don’t think so; Edgar has a seriously underrated ground game. Out-heart him? Forget about it. I don’t think it’s impossible for Swanson to win the fight, just highly unlikely. In order for Swanson to win, he’ll need to come up with a miracle.