Cub Swanson and Jonathan Martinez face off on Saturday in a bantamweight showdown for the co-main event of UFC Fight Night 212 at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas.
Cub Swanson comes into this game with a 28-12 record overall and he was able to secure a win in his last fight. Swanson faced off against Darren Elkins in December of 2021 and it was midway through the first round that he was able to finish the fight by knockout. Two fights ago he was knocked out in the first round. Swanson is averaging 4.66 significant strikes per minute while absorbing 3.65 significant strikes per minute. He is averaging 1.08 takedowns every 15 minutes and is successful on 51 percent of his takedown attempts. He is stopping 61 percent of his opponents takedown attempts.
Jonathan “Dragon” Martinez comes into this game with a 16-4 record overall and he has won three fights in a row. In his last fight against Vince Morales in May of 2022, he was able to win by unanimous decision. He outstruck his opponent 88-51 and also had two takedowns on the way to the victory. Martinez is averaging 4.72 significant strikes per minute while absorbing 3.77 significant strikes per minute. He is averaging 0.54 takedowns every 15 minutes and is successful on 50 percent of his takedown attempts. He also stops 73 percent of his opponent's takedown attempts.
Cub Swanson is being really undervalued here based on the odds. Swanson has had plenty of fights in his UFC career, but he still has the power to cause all kinds of issues in this fight. Look for Swanson to put the pressure on early in this fight and Martinez isn’t going to be able to handle it. Back Swanson on the money line.