Popular UFC featherweight Cub Swanson was in dire straits last weekend as he sought to overcome the powerhouse that is Brian Ortega at UFC Fresno. The thirty-four-year-old veteran of the octagon was fighting out the last bout on his contract and angling for a title shot when he was matched up with the undefeated Ortega, who at just twenty-six years old has remained undefeated in his MMA career and taken home seven submissions across his twelve fights.
The first round of the bout saw Swanson’s impressive striking game shine for nearly the entire round before Ortega switched from a clinch position—landing a knee to Swanson’s midsection in the process—and managed to get his hands around Swanson’s neck with just twenty seconds left in the round.
Ortega looked to take the fight to the canvas as soon as he’d wrapped up the neck of his opponent in an anaconda choke and pulled Swanson headfirst toward the ground.
With just fifteen seconds left, Ortega tried to wrap up the defending arm of Swanson with his legs, all while Swanson’s eyes looked like they were about to pop out of his head from the pressure being applied to his neck.
You can check out a video of the choke attempt here.
Credit: UFC Fight Pass/Streamable
Swanson tried desperately to relieve the pressure on his neck by pushing against the hips of his opponent as Ortega chased him along the ground, never letting go of the vise-like grip he had achieved. The bell sounded before he could continue to choke Swanson, without a doubt saving the veteran jiu-jitsu black belt from being submitted.
The second round saw more action on the feet, with Swanson landing some strong strikes before Ortega was able to shoot in on a single leg takedown. 
Swanson resisted, trying to withstand a knee to the body, and leaned his head into Ortega’s chest, inviting the jiu-jitsu phenom to attempt a guillotine choke.
It wasn’t long before Swanson realised he was in real trouble, with Ortega quickly attempting to pull guard, hanging off Swanson’s neck and torso with an extremely tight choke locked in.
Swanson attempted to walk backwards and give himself some breathing room, but “T-City” would not allow it, switching his grips during the transition to expertly readjust and tighten the guillotine choke. Swanson was still on his feet when he tapped out at 3:20 in the second round.
“I felt like I was picking him apart, getting my flow from the (start),” Swanson told MMAjunkie following the bout.
“I was figuring him out. I thought it was one of my best performances until getting caught.…I was landing big body shots, big leg kicks. Everything I wanted to execute I was doing. I felt great, and I messed up.”
“It was getting tight and then loosening up, getting tight and then loosening up,” Swanson said at the post-fight press conference in regards to Ortega’s failed anaconda choke. “He was making adjustments, I was fighting it. I was doing all the things I needed to do to create space. Luckily the bell rang, but I felt like I was going to get out.”
Ortega ensured Swanson wasn’t able to escape for a second time, taking home a $50,000 performance bonus in the process.
“It was tight right away. He had like a lock, you know? And then I was fighting him and kind of shaking him, and he only had like one hand,” he explained. “I grabbed his arm and his wrist and I felt OK. And then he grabbed his hand and I felt like I could still pull out, and then he readjusted. I felt his legs get a little higher on my body. And then it crushed my head, and then it’s like, I just flared up. I panicked.”
Ortega now moves to 13-0 in his professional mixed martial arts career, with many fans now heralding the young star as the second coming of jiu-jitsu legend and current UFC welterweight contender Demian Maia.
You can check out a full video of the finishing sequence here.
Credit: UFC Fight Pass/Imgtc
*All images are the property of UFC FightPass: Ortega vs. Swanson