Cub Swanson
The loss to Edgar was an unfortunate one for Swanson, who had previously asserted himself as a much improved fighter worthy of the top five.
While the loss does decrease his stock in the division, he will likely remain in the top ten given Edgar’s resume and calibre.
Swanson may have dominated by Edgar in their bout, however, his previous wins have shown that he still remains a viable threat to the majority of fighters in the featherweight division.
He has also shown himself to be one of the division’s most entertaining fighters, as evidenced by the fact that four of his last six fights have been named either Knockout of the Night or Fight of the Night.
Because of that, Swanson’s next fight would be best made against a solid fighter who has been proven to constantly go for the finish.
One such fight that pops to mind is Tatsuya Kawajiri.
Some casual fans may be thinking “Who!?” when that name comes up, but the Japanese fighter has fought some of the world’s top lightweight and featherweight fighters, and has become a top fighter himself in the process.
Kawajiri is coming off a loss to Clay Guida at UFC on Fox 39, which was named that event’s Fight of the Night.
The 36-year-old would present a major challenge for Swanson on the ground and would likely be an entertaining match up to fans, especially given Swanson’s ability to knock opponents out and Kawajiri’s abilities to submit fighters.
A Kawajiri vs. Swanson matchup would make a solid PPV main card fight or a co-main event of a UFC on Fox event.
Another potential next opponent for Swanson is Dennis Burmudez. As previously mentioned, Bermudez had a seven-fight win streak which was ultimate snapped by Lamas.
A bout between Burmudez and Swanson will give both fighters an opportunity to get back into the top five while potentially giving fans a highly explosive and entertaining fight.
With nine post-fight UFC bonuses between them, it would come as no surprise if a Swanson vs. Bermudez fight would get the Fight of the Night of whatever card it was on.
The fight would make a great co-main event at a UFC on Fox card and would make a great lead-in to a title fight given the potential for a Swanson-Bermudez to be entertaining and hype fans.
