"Nobody cares about these guys as much as I do" - UFC legend Cub Swanson tears up as he reveals why he's getting into fighter management

Cub Swanson has started taking on fighter management duties and will look to do so as he approaches the twilight of his competitive career.

It's natural for fighters to look for a second career path after retiring. Some choose to become coaches, others share their knowledge through commentary, and a few, like Swanson, become representatives of the up-and-coming crop of talent.

Although he hasn't retired yet, it appears that Swanson's post-UFC life could involve looking out for his younger teammates. However, it's not because Swanson chose the path he's on. The UFC Hall of Famer revealed that he feels it's a role bestowed upon him after his longtime manager, Kami Safdari, passed away in December 2020.

See Cub Swanson's post below:

During an interview with James Lynch of Sportskeeda MMA, Swanson revealed why he has taken on the role of manager. The veteran featherweight welled up while talking about the passing of his late manager and how he felt responsible for younger fighters:

"You know, my manager passed away, unfortunately, and I had all my guys that were looking like, 'What's gonna happen with that?' And I decided that he would've wanted me to step up and take control. Nobody cares about these guys as much as I do, so I didn't trust anyone to take over other than me."

Check out our interview with Cub Swanson below (and see more on Sportskeeda MMA's YouTube Channel):

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"I pay it forward" - Cub Swanson on mentoring young fighters

On top of being a certified fight manager, Cub Swanson also serves as a mentor to the up-and-coming fighters in his gym.

Speaking about his mentorship role, Swanson believes it's the right thing to do to pay his fortune forward. He told Sportskeeda MMA:

"I feel fortunate that, when I was coming up, I had Joe Stevenson take me under his wing, show me the ropes. If I didn't have money, he'd buy me food... And he always taught me like, 'I make the most money, we go and order. This guy gets the next most, that's how you pitch in.' The guy that has nothing, he better give it his all effort-wise, but financially, he doesn't have to carry that load. In turn, I've turned around and I've had that mentality my whole career. I pay it forward."

Swanson was recently inducted into the UFC Hall of Fame Fight Wing for his epic bout against Doo Ho Choi, which earned Fight of the Year in 2016. His most recent fight took place in December 2021, when he defeated Darren Elkins via technical knockout in round one.