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UFC Fight Night 44 headliner Cub Swanson initially not happy with choice of opponent

Initially, Cub Swanson wasn’t real happy when UFC officials told him he’d be fighting fellow featherweight Jeremy Stephens in Saturday’s UFC Fight Night 44 headliner.

It’s not that Swanson (20-5 MMA, 5-1 UFC) thinks Stephens (23-9 MMA, 10-8 UFC) isn’t a tough opponent; it’s just that when you look at the rankings, Stephens’ name appears further down the list than some of Swanson’s other opponents.

Swanson, ranked No. 3 in the latest USA TODAY Sports/MMAjunkie MMA featherweight rankings, looks for his sixth straight UFC victory after topping the likes of Dustin Poirier and Dennis Siver in recent outings. Stephens is No. 15 on the list, but Swanson said it ultimately means very little.

“At first, it was a little bit hard just because I feel like I knew right away the fans were – I read the stuff they send me and stuff like that, and I knew they were going to be a little disappointed because of the rankings,” Swanson recently told MMAjunkie Radio. ” … Granted, I don’t think he’s any easier of a fight just because of the number next to his name. … I thought there would be some complaints.”

However, Swanson, who hopes one more win can get him that elusive title shot, doesn’t expect any complaints come fight night. He admits he’s not a “household name,” but a thrilling bout with one of the 145-pound division’s hardest hitters could change that, he said.

“I think stylistically and him just being undefeated in the division, I thought it was a good matchup, and really, it’s another matchup for me to go out there and get some more fans,” he said. “Because I feel like that’s all I’m lacking.”

Check out the full conversation above.

For more on UFC Fight Night 44, check out the UFC Rumors section of the site.

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