With his long-awaited return to the Octagon rapidly approaching, Mike Swick is ready to get back to work. After being out of action for 30 months, the AKA-trained fighter is excited to put the past behind him and return to doing damage in the UFC welterweight division.
To say his time away has been frustrated would be an understatement. On several occasions, Swick has been scheduled to fight only to have his body rebel, ultimately forcing him back to the sidelines.
Following his bout with Paulo Thiago in 2010, a stomach ailment drastically hindered his ability to keep up the daunting training schedule required of a mixed martial artist at the highest level.
It took time for Swick to get the issue to a tolerable level and under control, but just when he appeared to be on the comeback trail, a major knee injury arose which forced him to withdraw from his bout with Erick Silva at UFC 134.
Despite the setbacks, Swick’s passion for competition never wavered. He fought onward through a grueling rehab in the hopes that some day he would be able to get back to doing what he loves. Fortunately for him, that opportunity is just around the corner, and he’s very much looking forward to getting back to trading leather on the sport’s biggest stage.
“I’m excited about returning,” Swick told Bleacher Report. “I’ve been out for 30 months but I’m healthy and super ready to get back in there.
“During my time away I’ve had a lot of time to focus on other things. I’m building a gym in Thailand, which has always been a dream of mine. I also have a screen printing business in San Jose. Those things are great but when it came to prepare I hit AKA as I always do and got to work.”
For his return, Swick faces fellow TUF alum DeMarques Johnson. Both fighters are looking to get back on track, as Swick is on a two-fight skid and Johnson took a submission loss in his last outing. In an increasingly competitive welterweight division, there is little room for error, which makes their bout at UFC on Fox 4 all the more important.
“I think it’s a great matchup,” Swick said. “I think he’s an exciting fighter who brings it. I think it’s going to be great. In this fight, fans are going to see just how bad I want to get my career back.
“He has strong punches and a good ground game. I have to be aware when I’m trading punches with him and make sure not to get caught with too many as we’re exchanging. I also have to be cautious about getting tangled up with him on the ground. He has long legs and I can’t let him play his game there.
While the picture at 170 pounds hardly resembles the weight class Swick last competed in, he’s fired up for the opportunity to test his skills against the division’s best.
“I’m excited about the division. It’s a jam-packed division with a lot of talent and I can’t wait to get back in there and mix it up.”
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