UFC On Fox 2 Fight Card Primer: George Roop Vs. Cub Swanson

by Fraser Coffeen on Jan 28, 2012 2:00 PM EST in UFC Event

CHICAGO, IL - JANUARY 27: (L-R) Featherweight opponents Cub Swanson and George Roop face off after weighing in during the UFC on FOX official weigh in at the Chicago Theatre on January 27, 2012 in Chicago, Illinois. (Photo by Josh Hedges/Zuffa LLC/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images)

UFC on Fox 2 features action in the Featherweight division, as George Roop (12-8-1; 1-2 UFC) faces Cub Swanson (15-5; 0-1 UFC). This fight is part of the Fuel TV prelim card. Neither man is currently ranked in the USA TODAY / MMA Nation Consensus MMA Rankings, though I would imagine Roop is not far outside the top 25. The Fuel TV prelims begin this Saturday, January 28 at 5 p.m. ET / 2 p.m. PT, with the main card following on Fox at 8 p.m. ET / 5 p.m. PT.

Featherweight is one of the new UFC divisions that is still developing, and as a result, the title picture remains wide open. So while neither Roop nor Swanson are currently ranked, either man could be right in the mix with a few impressive wins. Look for both to try and make a statement in this fight, proving that they belong in the competitive 145 pound ranks.

How do these two stack up?

Roop: 30 years old | 6'1" | 72" reach
Swanson: 28 years old | 5'7"

What have these two done recently?

Roop: L - Hatsu Hioki (SD) | W - Josh Grispi (KO) | L - Mark Hominick (TKO)
Swanson: L - Ricardo Lamas (Sub) | W - Mackens Semerzier (SD) | L - Chad Mendes (UD)

How did these two get here?

Roop came into the UFC through The Ultimate Fighter during the Team Mir vs. Team Nogueira season. Since then, he's been a fixture of the Zuffa scene, both in the UFC and WEC. He's an interesting case where he has been in a lot of high profile fights, and as a whole I would consider his Zuffa career a success, yet he's only 3-5-1 under the UFC/WEC banner. Despite that record, he is a dangerous fighter - he is the only man to stop Chan Sung Jung, he stopped former #1 contender Josh Grispi, and he very nearly spoiled the much hyped debut of Hatsu Hioki. Roop has a lot to offer - he just needs to find consistency.

Swanson is a long-time WEC veteran who has faced many of that organization's top names - Jens Pulver, Chad Mendes, Jose Aldo - but has more often that not come up on the losing end. He made his UFC debut at the first Fox show, losing to Ricardo Lamas. He's a game fighter, who can challenge anyone, but just can't seem to pull the trigger and get into the winner's column. He's probably fighting for his job here.

Why should you care?

Featherweights tend to deliver fun fights, and Roop is often good for some kind of highlight. Add in the pressure on both to not drop a second in a row, and this could be a very fun scrap, even if it doesn't have a ton of divisional relevance.

More UFC on Fox 2 preview coverage from Bloody Elbow after the jump.

SBN coverage of UFC on Fox 2