UFC Hall of Famer Announces Return at UFC 327 After Contemplating Retirement

One of the most biggest names in the UFC’s featherweight division apparently has at least one more fight left in him.

Following the UFC’s first event of 2026 and debut on Paramount last Saturday with UFC 324, the featherweight division will take center stage this weekend when Alexander Volkanovski and Diego Lopes meet in a rematch for the 145 lbs. title that headlines UFC 325 in Sydney, Australia.

The UFC’s next numbered event will be UFC 326 on March 7 before the promotion returns to Miami, FL on April 11 for UFC 327, and it looks like longtime UFC veteran Cub Swanson has signed on to compete in Miami for what could be his final Octagon appearance.

Cub Swanson Set To Return At UFC 327

Out of action for more than a year now after he knocked out Billy Quarantillo at a UFC Fight Night event in December 2024, Swanson recently took to Instagram to reveal that he’s officially accepted a fight at UFC 327.

A veteran of 25 UFC fights and 44 professional MMA bouts, Swanson openly contemplated retirement following his fight with Quarantillo, which earned both men an extra $50K bonus for competing in the card’s “Fight of the Night”.

Cub Swanson (red gloves) fights Billy Quarantillo (blue gloves) at Amalie Arena. | Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images

The 42-year-old has alternated wins and losses dating back to a 2020 knockout-win over Daniel Pineda and has earned three post-fight bonuses across that span, including back-to-back “Fight of the Night” honors for his two most recent outings against Quarantillo and Andre Fili.

Could Swanson And "The Korean Superboy" Rematch In Miami?

“Killer” joined the UFC in 2011 as part of the WEC merger and put together an impressive six-fight win streak that included victories over future UFC titleholders Charles Oliveira and Dustin Poirier after losing his promotional debut to fellow WEC veteran Ricardo Lamas.

Swanson has plenty of standout moments from his lengthy UFC career, but it was a 2016 meeting with Doo Ho Choi at UFC 206 that made sure the Californian’s name will be forever enshrined in UFC history. The two men threw down in a wild fight that was named “Fight of the Year” at the 2016 World MMA Awards, and in 2022 the bout was inducted into the “Fight Wing” of the UFC Hall of Fame.

Cub Swanson (red gloves) fights Dooho Choi (blue gloves) during UFC 206 at Air Canada Centre. | Tom Szczerbowski-Imagn Images

The announcement that Swanson will fight at UFC 327 has generated plenty of speculation that the featherweight veteran may have signed on for a rematch with Choi, which would be a massive boost for a Miami card that is currently shaping up like this.

UFC 327 Fight Card

• Dominick Reyes vs. Johnny Walker

• Tatiana Suarez vs. Lupita Godinez

• Azamat Murzakanov vs. Paulo Costa

• Andre Lima vs. Dong Hun Choi

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