Cub Swanson Says He Needed to Feel Nervous at UFC on FOX 19

– Cub Swanson spoke with mmajunkie.com about his UFC on FOX 19 victory. Here is hat he had to say…

On What He Had To Do To Win: “That was another thing, being able to get in touch with that killer inside of me on fight day,” Swanson said. “Just over the years, I’m not an angry young kid anymore. As you grow up you have to find reasons to do what you do and put it all on the line. I was definitely able to tap into it to be able to perform.”

On Needing to Feel Nervous: “The craziest thing is, I was telling my manager, my whole career, I wanted those nerves to not be there and that feeling of being sick backstage,” Swanson said. “All that built up emotion and pressure you put on yourself, I always was waiting for go away. My last two fights, I had zero there and I lost both fights. I learned that those nerves, they’re there to keep you sharp and to make you perform. Part of it is dealing with it; learning to have those nerves and embrace them and perform despite them. When I started backstage I wasn’t feeling it, I was too comfortable. I had music playing for everybody backstage and I unplugged it, plugged in my headphones and went in the dark bathroom. I sat there pacing for about 30 minutes. When they said it was your turn, I was ready to go.”