Cub Swanson (28-13) vs Hakeem Dawodu (13-3-1)
Cub Swanson is reclassifying himself as a featherweight.
Swanson announced on Tuesday that he would face Hakeem Dawodu at UFC Vegas 78 on August 12.
At UFC Vegas 62, Swanson lost to Jonathan Martinez by TKO stoppage after receiving leg kicks in his UFC bantamweight debut. Swanson began his career competing at 135 pounds, but after upgrading to featherweight in 2006, he hasn’t gone back down. In his 29 total UFC and WEC featherweight matches, Swanson earned nine Fight of the Night and three Performance bonuses. He is now returning to the division where he had the greatest success.
Hakeem “Mean” Dawodu (13-3-1) enters this contest with a loss by unanimous decision to Julian Erosa at UFC 279 due to exceeding the 145-pound weight restriction. Dawodu, a former kickboxer and WSOF competitor, debuted his UFC in 2018 and now holds a 6-3 record overall.
Dawodu is likewise 5’8″ tall and 145 pounds. He stands in an Orthodox manner and has a 73-inch reach. He can land strikes at a pace of 5.3 per minute with a 50% accuracy rate. He got 3.15 strikes per minute, with a 57% defense rate.
With regards to grappling, Dawodu averages 0.0 takedowns per 15 minutes. Cub’s takedown accuracy is 0% while his defensive accuracy is 65%. His submission average is 0.0% for every 15 minutes.
Cub Swanson vs Hakeem Dawodu Game Information
Location: UFC APEX, Las Vegas United States.
Date: Saturday, Aug 12, 2023
Main Card: 7:00 PM ET
Prelims: 8:00 PM ET
Watch on: ESPN and ESPN+
Cub Swanson weighs 145 pounds and is 5’8″ tall. He stands with an Orthodox posture with a reach of 70.” He can land strikes at a pace of 4.68 per minute with a 50% accuracy rate. On a 60% defensive rate, he got 3.73 strikes per minute.
Swanson averaged 1.09 takedowns per 15 minutes when wrestling. While his defensive takedown accuracy is 61%, Cub’s takedown accuracy is only 52%. Every fifteen minutes, he submits 0.4% of his opponents. Swanson’s fights typically last 11:27.
UFC Odds/Point Spread: Hakeem Dawodu -280, Cub Swanson +200
The battle will take place in the Featherweight class over three rounds, therefore, the maximum weight is 145 pounds (10.4 stone or 65.8 KG). With a 54% knockout percentage compared to Swanson’s 46%, the statistics indicate that Dawodu has a minor power edge over Swanson.
With a 14% submission percentage compared to Dawodu’s 0%, their statistics indicate Swanson will have the upper hand if the bout goes to the ground. At 39 years old, Cub Swanson is 7 years older than the other man.
Having a 2-inch reach advantage is Dawodu. Swanson, a professional fighter who has competed in 24 more fights than Dawodu, had his debut in 2004, 9 years and 6 months earlier than Dawodu’s debut, which occurred in 2014. He has fought 93 rounds, 93 more than Dawodu’s 42.
Swanson’s Dominance Unveiled
Swanson won two of his last five opponents, stopping one and just once having to go to the judges. In his last match, he lost to Jonathan Martinez by second-round knockout at UFC Fight Night: Grasso vs. Araujo on October 15, 2022, in Las Vegas, Nevada, in the United States.
Before that, he defeated Darren Elkins at UFC Fight Night on December 18, 2021, through a first-round knockout. On May 1, 2021, in the United States, he lost to Giga Chikadze through a first-round knockout at UFC Vegas 25. Prior to the victory, he defeated Kron Gracie in a three-round fight at Amalie Arena in Tampa during UFC on ESPN+ 19 on October 12, 2019, by unanimous decision. On May 4, 2019, at the Canadian Tire Centre in Ottawa, Canada, he lost by split decision to Shane Burgos in the UFC on ESPN+ 9 event.
Dawodu’s Unstoppable Momentum
Hakeem Tyrone Dawodu, a Canadian mixed martial artist, fights in the Featherweight division and is currently associated with the Ultimate Fighting Championship. He has previously competed in the World Series of Fighting. 3 of Hakeem Dawodu’s last 5 opponents have been defeated by him. By unanimous decision, he defeated Julian Erosa in their three-round match at UFC 279 on September 10, 2022, in Las Vegas, United States.
Prior to that, on February 5, 2022, at UFC Fight Night @ UFC APEX in Las Vegas, he defeated Mike Trizano by unanimous decision. He lost to Movsar Evloev in a unanimous decision match at UFC 263 on June 12, 2021.
He previously won a three-round fight against Zubaira Tukhugov at UFC 253 in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, by split decision on September 26, 2020. In a three-round fight on December 8 at Scotiabank Arena in Toronto, Canada, he defeated Kyle Bochniak by split decision.
Free Pick and Prediction: Hakeem Dawodu will win this match by decision (-280). Hakeem Dawodu hasn’t been fighting as much lately as Cub Swanson has. Hakeem Dawodu last competed 10 months and 23 days ago, whilst Cub Swanson last competed 9 months and 18 days ago. Swanson has fought five times in the past four years, two months, and 29 days, or once every ten months and six days on average. He engaged in 10 rounds of combat in those battles, averaging 2 rounds each bout. Dawodu has fought five times in the past four years, seven months, and twenty-five days, translating to an average bout every eleven months and five days. He engaged in a total of 15 rounds in those matches.
