Hakeem Dawodu and Cub Swanson squared off in a Welterweight contest earlier tonight (Sat., Aug. 12, 2023) at UFC Vegas 78 inside UFC Apex in Las Vegas, Nevada. Following a back-and-forth battle, Swanson was named the victor.
The fight began with feints from Swanson and kick attempts from Dawodu. The Canadian found success first with a handful of solid low kick connections, but Swanson answered heavy by returning with a nasty triple jab-cross combination. Dawodu began to fire in combination, and his low kick started finding a home more consistently.
By the midway point of the round, Swanson was starting to look stuck on the outside. When he reached for Dawodu, he usually came up short and ate at least a counter kick. A stiff jab knocked Swanson backward. Swanson scored to the body a bit with his hands, but Dawodu kicked to the mid-section as well.
“Killer Cub” ended the first round bloody.
Hawodu walked his foe down early in the second, continuing to kick at the leg. Swanson found a strong moment by making it ugly, grabbing onto Dawodu’s head in a collar-tie and hammering home uppercuts with his free hand. “Mean” pursued the clinch and landed some hard knees to the body. The two traded huge shots when they broke apart — Swanson was starting to get the brawl he wanted, for better or worse.
The pace settled, however, and the two returned to the clinch. Dawodu chipped away for a while from close range then broke with an elbow. The two traded wildly at the bell, and all in all, it was a better round from the veteran.
Swanson started the third frame with some big combinations. Dawodu worked well with jabs and kicks afterward, filling the space between Swanson’s wide combinations with effective volume. A pair of low blows stalled the action momentarily. Dawodu intercepted his opponent’s offense well, but Swanson answered with a ripping liver shot and step-in elbow.
Swanson times a double leg and plants his opponent on the floor! Swanson was aggressive, hunting for chokes of any kind. He advanced position until the find second, when Dawodu spun back into guard and ended the fight on top.
Early on, it looked like Dawodu was going to kick Swanson’s legs apart, but the veteran battled his way back into this one! It was an entertaining and competitive fight. Ultimately, all three judges awarded Swanson the decision victory, stunning Dawodu and Swanson himself.
Well … a win’s a win!
Result: Cub Swanson defeats Hakeem Dawodu via unanimous decision
For complete UFC Vegas 78: “Dos Anjos vs. Luque” results and play-by-play, click HERE!