The Complete Guide to UFC Fight Night 108: Swanson vs. Lobov

Swanson draws Lobov in the main event.Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC/Getty Images

Main Event: Featherweights

Cub Swanson (24-7; 9-3 UFC) vs. Artem Lobov (14-12-1, 1 NC; 2-2 UFC)

Swanson and Lobov meet in a nonsensical but potentially entertaining featherweight main event.

Swanson won a decision over Dooho Choi in the consensus 2016 fight of the year, which ran his current winning streak to three fights. This has been an impressive rebound for him after a pair of losses to Frankie Edgar and Max Holloway that could have marked his end as an elite contender.

Lobov, by contrast, has defeated the lower end of the division. He won a decision over Chris Avila and another over Teruto Ishihara to snap a two-fight losing streak. While a better fighter than his near-.500 record suggests, he has never faced anyone remotely close to this level.

Swanson is a slick and creative striker. He's exceptionally explosive and athletic, and his game builds on those physical gifts in a technically sound way. His footwork is gorgeous to watch, though not always efficient, and it allows him to find advantageous angles, keep his back off the cage and move smoothly through the cage.

Boxing is the heart and soul of Swanson's approach. He measures distance with his lead hand and tosses out the occasional jab, and then picks his spots to explode forward into vicious single shots and combinations that feature stance-switches to cover more distance. Sneaky head kicks often follow those punching combinations. Heavy kicks at all levels score points and wear the opponent down.

While he doesn't brawl as much as he used to, Swanson is a dangerous counterpuncher. He can stick in the pocket, move his head and fire back with one or two shots as well as anyone in the division. His chin is still outstanding, and he's not easy to hit cleanly.

Volume has never been Swanson's strong suit. His power and ability to control the range and pace have generally compensated for that: He makes every shot count, and every one can finish the fight. 

That's what Swanson does best. He's not helpless elsewhere; slick trips and throws add another dimension, one that he could stand to use more often. Defensive wrestling has never been his strong suit, though. On top, he mostly prefers to control, something he does well, and he can be too content to play off his back if taken down.

Lobov is almost entirely a striker, and one with an idiosyncratic style that seems to work for him. He's aggressive and gets after his opponent, but Lobov isn't the kind of fighter who drowns his foe in volume; he prefers to measure the range with his lead hand and chop away with low kicks to the calf, which help him gauge the distance and herd the opponent to angles from which he can land clean shots.

When Lobov does let go, it's generally with one or two punches at a time. He has real power in his hands and places his shots accurately. His timing is excellent, and he has a knack for planting counters on the opponent's chin. That counter game is likely the best piece of his whole approach, as he has a varied repertoire of responses to punches and kicks and excels at slipping to angles or stepping in to land.

Those are the good pieces of Lobov's striking game. On the other hand, he just doesn't throw very much, and tends to slip into periods of inactivity. His power is nowhere near as imposing as he thinks it is, either, so those few shots he lands aren't necessarily the game-changers they need to be with that low level of output. He's hittable at all ranges, though he's shown an excellent chin.

Serviceable takedown defense mostly keeps Lobov standing, and he can hit the occasional takedown of his own when the mood strikes. He's competent on the mat and has shown a decent submission game, but he's not a threat from his back and isn't difficult to hold down.

Betting Odds

Swanson -680, Lobov +490

Prediction

Unless Swanson has fallen off a cliff since his war with Choi last December, which is a possibility, this is the American's fight to lose. Swanson is the more technical and well-rounded striker, the better wrestler, the better grappler and a vastly superior athlete with more power. Lobov can land on Swanson, especially with counters, but that's a thin game plan here.

Swanson cracks Lobov's chin and finishes him in the second round.

Betting odds courtesy of OddsShark and current on Wednesday, April 19.

Patrick Wyman is the Senior MMA Analyst for Bleacher Report and the co-host of the Heavy Hands Podcast, your source for the finer points of face-punching. For the history enthusiasts out there, he also hosts The Fall of Rome Podcast on the end of the Roman Empire. He can be found on Twitter and on Facebook.