Although the UFC’s featherweight division is considered the most talent-stacked, veteran Cub Swanson picked a surprising name as the hardest puncher he has ever faced. Although notable fighters like Jose Aldo, Conor McGregor, and Max Holloway have all won gold at 145 pounds, Swanson believes their punching game is not up to the mark. Instead, the 40-year-old hailed Renato Moicano as the toughest puncher in the division.
Cub Swanson signed with the UFC in 2011 following which he became a staple at 145 pounds. In the 13 years that he has been with the organization, he has faced some of the very best including Dustin Poirier, Charles Oliveira, and Max Holloway amongst others. Recently, during the ‘Jaxxon’ podcast with Rampage Jackson and Bear Degidio, Swanson was asked about the toughest puncher he faced, and he replied,
“Moicano, even with a jab that just floored me that I did not see coming was so heavy on offence right away. He was not doing anything so I had a false sense of ‘oh I am on’ and then he was just like ah and knocked me down. He just knee-ed me in the face once and that was it, broke my eyebrow bone.”
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Apart from Moicano, Swanson also picked Dustin Poirer as another hard puncher that he faced. He claimed that Poirier’s leg kicks were debilitating from the very first time he landed them. At the same time, ‘Killer’ added that someone like Charles Oliveira was not as strong a puncher since he was not fighting at a weight suited to him. Well, with such high praise from a veteran fighter, how does Moicano stack up against other featherweight icons?
How does ‘hardest puncher’ Renato Moicano stack up against other heavy hitters at featherweight?
Renato Moicano is currently on a three-fight win streak. The 34-year-old has wins over the likes of Brad Riddell, Drew Dober, and Jailin Turner. In fact, his most recent win came at the UFC 300 event where he overcame adversity to secure a finish.
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Interestingly, despite Cub Swanson’s claim, Moicano has just one knockout win in his career. Of his 19 wins, 10 have come via submission, eight via decision and his most recent win against Turner was his only stoppage win. The record for the most knockout wins at featherweight belongs to Max Holloway with 9 to his name. Second on the list is Cub Swanson himself with six.
