Fight Coverage
Co-Main Spotlight | Cub Swanson vs Billy Quarantillo
Veterans Cub Swanson And Billy Quarantillo Collide In The Co-Main Event At UFC Tampa This Saturday
In the final fight night of 2024, the fans in Tampa, Florida, not only get treated to a quality and high-stakes main event between welterweights Colby Covington and Joaquin Buckley, but they also get a chance to back their adopted hometown guy against a legend of the sport when Billy Quarantillo welcomes Cub Swanson to west Florida in the co-main event at UFC Fight Night: Covington vs Buckley.
The matchup is not only important for both men as they come off losses, but it’s also a fight every MMA fan should enjoy. Swanson has been an all-action man for two decades, and Quarantillo has seen his share of back-and-forth wars as well.
Saturday's Full Fight Card Preview
Cub Swanson
Cub Swanson Fight Week Interview | UFC Tampa
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Cub Swanson Fight Week Interview | UFC Tampa
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“Killer” Cub continues to keep Father Time at bay. The 41-year-old has taken a small step back from frequent competition, and December 14th’s bout will be just the second time he will compete twice in a calendar year since 2020. That said, when he does make the walk, he still brings that suave, action-friendly style to the Octagon.
His motivation to compete resides in his love for the game, and while he has shifted a lot of his focus to coaching and pushing younger fighters in the right direction, Swanson also has a chance to continuously etch his name in the record books. He currently sits tied with Max Holloway for the most performance bonuses in UFC featherweight history (10) and is tied with Conor McGregor and Chad Mendes for the second-most knockouts in the division’s history (six).
MORE UFC TAMPA: Main Event Spotlight | Covington vs Buckley: UFC Journey
Swanson regularly still flashes brilliance and grit, and whether it comes in the form of his dominant knockout win over Darren Elkins or a razor-close split decision loss to Andre Fili, he remains quality entertainment 43 fights into his career.
Billy Quarantillo
Since joining the roster via Dana White’s Contender Series in 2019, Billy Quarantillo quickly became a fan favorite. The native New Yorker who made Tampa, Florida, his home in 2010 has had a tougher time finding consistency in the Octagon, but when he finds a spark, he has the goods to compete with anyone at 145 pounds as his battles with Shane Burgos, Kyle Nelson and Edson Barboza have shown.
View Quarantillo's Athlete Profile
Quarantillo, 36, has split his last eight fights in the Octagon and picked up performance bonuses in half his wins over the stretch. His last time out, however, against Youssef Zalal, Quarantillo felt like he wasn’t able to give his whole self to training camp for a variety of reasons, and so he went into camp for this co-main event looking to leave no stone unturned.
Meeting in the Middle
View Swanson's Athlete Profile
This is as fan-friendly as fan-friendly gets in the Octagon. Quarantillo and Swanson are two well-rounded mixed martial artists who definitely prefer to get in their opponent’s face and trade shots. Quarantillo boasts the highest strikes landed per minute average in featherweight history with 7.47, so Swanson will need to use his slick footwork and craftiness to create angles and counter opportunities on the feet. Both men will mix in grappling as well, averaging about a takedown each per 15 minutes, but all signs point toward a striking fest.