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Essay On The Title Shot

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When Frankie Edgar was forced to withdraw from the main event of UFC 218 due to injury, there were many fighters hoping to get the call to face Max Holloway for the featherweight title. Cub Swanson was one of those fighters and vehemently campaigned for the title shot, but the UFC ultimately granted Jose Aldo a second shot at defeating Holloway, and Swanson was forced to wait. “It was between me and Frankie (for the original title shot), and then Frankie got it, and it was a tough pill to swallow, and I got over it,” Swanson said in November on The MMA Hour. “And I thought for sure, if anybody wouldn’t pull out of a fight, it would be him, because I think he’s the kind of guy who would fight through a torn knee or anything. But I guess he …show more content…

Not even close. "I've been doing this for 13 years and I'm in the prime of my career, but at some point it's going to dip off, and I'd like to walk away before I start having really bad performances -- with enough money in my account to make the smart investments and do the right things. I just want that opportunity for everything I’ve done.” Swanson is riding a four-fight win streak with two consecutive Fight of the Night performances, and his fight against Dooho Choi won Fight of the Year in 2016. Ranked fourth in the featherweight division, Swanson is 10-3 in the UFC and his losses have come to champion Holloway, Edgar and former title challenger Ricardo Lamas. A win over No. 6 ranked featherweight Ortega would certainly bring interesting offers not only from the UFC, but from other organizations as well. Ortega believes a win in this fight will finally put him on everyone’s radar. “This is a game where you need to have a high name,” Ortega told Fox Sports. “I feel like, with this fight, it can put me on the map as one of the elite of the elite. Anyone who’s in the Top 3 is always getting a lot of publicity. “Ultimately, I feel like I’m doing everything right. I’m slowly but surely climbing up the ladder. I’m taking out bigger names with every fight. Not just beating them on a point level, I’m finishing every single one of my opponents. I beat Cub, the world will know who I am.” Ortega is 4-0 in the UFC with one fight ruled a no contest.

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