UFC 206 results: Doo-Ho Choi loses in decision but shows promise of being a future champion and gains respect in what will likely be The Fight of the Year

AsianPlayers | December 11, 2016 | MMA and Boxing | No Comments

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Cub Swanson has been in this game a long time. So when a hot-shot prospect was paired against him as his next opponent, it surely lit a fire under the veteran.

Swanson and Doo-Ho Choi may have been an undercard match to the main event at UFC 206, but the two fighters put on one of the best performances of the year.

Just look at the action in this one.

That was all in one round. The two fighters continued to throw and land shots through the final bell of the third before Swanson was named the winner by unanimous decision. It was Choi’s first loss in UFC and first loss since 2010. He thought he won the bout, but promised to come back better than ever.

This is a fight that has generated a lot of interest among close followers of the sport. Cub Swanson has been one of the best featherweights in the world for a decade, with wins over the likes of Dustin Poirier, Jeremy Stephens, Charles Oliveira and Tatsuya Kawajiri. He has won eight of his last 10 fights. Doo Ho Choi, on the other hand, is a phenom. 15-1 overall, he has knocked out his last eight opponents. Adding to the intrigue surrounding Choi is his appearance, as he looks like he could still be a high school student, but his unassuming smile and demeanor belie his ferocity in the cage. If he can defeat opponents like Swanson, he could become a star in the sport.

Round 1. Choi throws some punches early. Swanson clinches and Choi punishes him with a series of knees to the body. Swanson is forced to return to range, where Choi goes back to that extremely quick boxing. Swanson lands a hard right hook and is getting more comfortable in the exchanges. Still, Choi is landing more. Choi is precise with his jab in particular, but Swanson is countering with power shots so Choi remains in danger. 10-9 Choi.

Round 2. The fighters come out swinging at the start of the second, swinging looping punches. Swanson rocks Choi with a hook and moves in by the cage looking for a finish. He has Choi in big trouble, but Choi counters and has Swanson in trouble. He is hammering Swanson by the cage with precise punches but has to take a respite. Swanson gets a takedown and then full mount. He loses mount and Choi gets back to his feet. Choi immediately looks to reestablish his jab. Swanson goes for a cartwheel kick and then punches while looking in the other direction. An unaffected Choi continues working the exact same way. Swanson hurts Choi again by the cage and looks to finish with looping punches. He throws a spinning backfist and goes to work by the cage. That was one of the best rounds of MMA you’re ever going to see. That’s next to impossible to score. 10-9 Swanson.

Round 3. Swanson comes out with more big power punches. Choi answers with his usual rapid-fire boxing. Swanson goes for a takedown, but it is blocked. They scramble for position. It looks like Choi might get Swanson’s back momentarily, but then Swanson takes top position. Choi lands some elbows from the bottom. Choi gets up, but he is rocked by more looping hard punches from Swanson. Choi survives, but he gets thrown to the ground by Swanson. Choi works his way back up. Swanson hurts Choi with a couple more big hooks. Swanson is taking over in the third. Swanson gets a takedown briefly, but Swanson returns to his feet pretty much immediately. Swanson moves in looking to close late, nailing Choi with huge punches. He drops Choi and lands additional punches on the ground as the fight comes to an end. 10-8 Swanson, 29-27 Swanson.

Winner: Cub Swanson, unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 29-28).

Swanson after the fight said Choi made a mistake by calling Swanson out. Swanson took that to mean Choi didn’t think he had it any more, which made Swanson question himself but also train extremely hard to prove himself. Choi says that motivated him to train even more and he’ll never lose again. The crowd in Toronto gave both men thunderous ovations.

That is bound to be a legendary fight, one of the best bouts in the history of the sport. It was a wild brawl, but it also featured tremendous skill and heart on the part of both men. It’s the classic example of a fight where both the winner and loser are elevated by the nature of their performances. It was the first setback in the UFC career of Choi, but his ascent continues. Meanwhile, that is the performance that people will point to when looking back at the career of Cub Swanson as a testament to the sort of fighter he was.