Veteran UFC fighter Cub Swanson has make clear his long-standing feud with the Gracie household, detailing how early profession controversies and private struggles formed his relationship with Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu.
Cub Swanson Gracie Household Beef
Cub Swanson, a PanAm BJJ champion earlier than transitioning to MMA, described an encounter with Kron Gracie on the 2003 US Open as a turning level. Swanson, then a rising competitor, confronted the teenage Gracie in a match marred by disputed scoring. Swanson alleges that the referee favored Gracie, leaving him with out factors he believed he earned.
In an interview with Quinton ‘Rampage’ Jackson, Swanson explains:
“Kron looked at the ref, turned his back, and the ref turned around and gave it to me. I was like, “What does that mean?” The inexperienced and yellow belt is worn on prime of your belt in order that they know who’s who once they’re scoring factors. However he didn’t need to put on the inexperienced and yellow belt as a result of he thought it was disrespectful.
“Only one person had to wear it, so when they tried to give it to him, he told the ref, “Get out of my face.” The ref circled and handed it to me. I’d by no means seen that occur.
“We went at it, and he beat me on factors, however they wouldn’t give me any factors. I used to be bummed out. The subsequent day, I used to be shopping for all of the magazines—I used to be an enormous fan of all of the Gracies. I used to be simply so into it as a result of it was altering my life.“
“The next day, all the magazines wrote, ‘Kron Gracie beats PanAm champ to become US Open champ,’” Swanson stated. “It crushed me. I felt disrespected like they used me to elevate him.”
Years later, Swanson confronted Kron Gracie within the UFC in what he described as a vital second in his profession. Coming off a shedding streak, Swanson stated the struggle carried private {and professional} weight. Regardless of the historical past between them, Swanson expressed respect for Gracie’s toughness within the Octagon.
“We went to do the face-off. I wasn’t going to let him intimidate me—I’d already fought the best of the best. He walked up and put his fist in my face. My manager asked, “Why didn’t you push him?” To me, that was cowardly.“
“It was a war,” Cub Swanson stated. “I hit him with some of the nastiest body shots I’ve ever thrown, but he just kept coming forward.”
Swanson in the end gained the struggle, displaying why he is likely one of the most fun fighters in UFC historical past. With 11 post-fight bonuses, he holds the document within the featherweight division and has grow to be a fan favourite for his dynamic and inventive hanging.
Whereas the strain with the Gracie household stays palpable, Cub Swanson has moved ahead, persevering with to construct on his popularity as a veteran fighter and a key determine in MMA.
