Cub Swanson isn’t backing down.
Earlier this year, one of the most unexpected beefs in MMA history jumped off when welterweight contender Joaquin Buckley started a feud with Swanson, one of the longest-tenured featherweights in the UFC. Now, as fate would have it, the two men are set to compete at UFC Tampa this Saturday, with Buckley in the main event against Colby Covington, while Swanson is in the co-main event facing Billy Quarantillo. And with the two men now competing on the same card, questions arose at the UFC Tampa Media Day about the state of their relationship.
“I stand by what I said,” Swanson told reporters. “I don’t think the younger guys should be disrespecting the older guys. That’s just what I think. I think that the people that paved the way always deserve some respect.
“I’m sure I will [run into him], and I’m not going to back down from what I said. I was a fan of his until he opened his mouth a little bit. I’ve got no ill will towards him, but like I said, I think people need to show respect.”
The beef started back in May when Buckley claimed he would knock out a prime version of Georges St-Pierre. Swanson, who is a friend and former teammate of St-Pierre’s, quickly jumped to his defense, and Buckley responded with a scathing tirade against Swanson, calling the featherweight’s entire career into question.
The beef ultimately faded out as Buckley refocused his energies on his welterweight title pursuit, and it’s unclear if “New Mansa” still feels the same about Swanson at this point.
As for Swanson, he’s willing to let bygones be bygones if Buckley just admits he was wrong.
“An apology for calling me a ‘ho,’ because that’s one thing I’m not,” Swanson said when asked what he needs to make peace with Buckley. “I’ve stayed true to myself, I’ve stayed true to who I am my entire career, so the name-calling was just a little over the line. But I was a fan of his until that moment.”
UFC Tampa takes place this Saturday at Amalie Arena in Tampa, FL.
