By the Numbers: Cub Swanson vs. Kron Gracie

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Fifteen years ago, a 20-year-old Cub Swanson and a 16-year-old Kron Gracie met in a jiu-jitsu competition, which the latter won by the slimmest of margins. That was Swanson’s last jiu-jitsu match. Fast forward to 2019 and Swanson is looking to avenge that loss, this time inside the Octagon.

The two featherweights will co-headline UFC Fight Night 161 at the Amalie Center in Tampa, Florida. For Swanson, it’s about proving that he has a lot left in his tank, while for Gracie it’s a chance to show that he has what it takes to keep up with the division’s best. Let the numbers below give you an idea on how the fight might play out.

Overall MMA experience

Gracie has only been fighting professionally since December 2014, during which time he has been a perfect 5-0. He debuted at Real Fight Championship 1 in Japan, at which point Swanson was already a veteran of 27 professional fights. The native of Palm Springs, California, was one month removed from his fight with Frankie Edgar at UFC Fight Night 57 and about four months away from his bout with Max Holloway at UFC on Fox 15.

Swanson made his debut on July 25, 2004, opposite fellow debutant Shannon Gugerty at an event called Total Combat 4 in Mexico. He fought in various regional promotions before making it to World Extreme Cagefighting and eventually the Ultimate Fighting Championship. With a 25-11 record, he holds notable victories over Dustin Poirier, Charles Oliveira, Jeremy Stephens and Dennis Siver.

Octagon appearances

Gracie was welcomed into the UFC by Alex Caceres, whom he choked out in the first round. The event was UFC on ESPN 1, held on Feb. 17, 2019. Meanwhile, Swanson first tasted UFC competition at UFC on Fox 1, where he lost to Ricardo Lamas. In all, he has appeared in the Octagon a total of 17 times, with a promotional record of 10-7.

Longest winning streak

Gracie’s five-fight winning streak is impressive, but it pales in comparison to Swanson’s 11-win run. That includes two fights in the WEC and a rematch with Shannon Gugerty, whom he knocked out in the second round. His longest successful streak in the UFC was six, beating George Roop, Ross Pearson, Charles Oliveira, Dustin Poirier, Dennis Siver and Jeremy Stephens in succession.

Wins by submission

All five of Gracie’s wins have come by submission: Three rear-naked chokes, one triangle choke and one armbar. That’s a 100 percent submission rate in three promotions, namely UFC, Rizin and RFC. What makes the feat even more impressive is the fact that he finished four opponents in the first round and one in the second round. By contrast, Swanson has only notched four submission victories in 36 professional fights.

Wins by knockout

Swanson is both a jiu-jitsu and a judo black belt, but it’s his striking that has been his key to success in MMA. This is evidenced by his 11 wins by KO or TKO. As for Gracie, he has yet to score a victory by knockout, as previously mentioned.