Frankie Edgar vs. Cub Swanson: A Full Head-to-Toe Breakdown

UFC Fight Night 57 is headlined by a Top Five featherweight tilt between No. 2-ranked featherweight Cub Swanson and No. 3-ranked Frankie Edgar.

The stakes are high. The winner will be in line for a shot at Jose Aldo's featherweight championship belt. Monday after the UFC's press event "The Time Is Now," Dana White was on Fox Sports 1's America's Pregame and stated Swanson would get the title shot with a victory. No such promise was mentioned for Edgar.

Swanson is on an impressive six-fight winning streak, and Edgar has won back-to-back fights for the first time since 2010.

The featherweight division is deep, and these are two of the very best. Something will have to give Saturday night when the two step into the Octagon to become the next contender for the crown.

We move to the breakdown of UFC Fight Night 57's main event, and let's find out who is in line for Aldo's 12 pounds of gold.

Striking

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This can be expected to be a stand-up battle for the majority of the fight.

Both are excellent strikers but have different styles of implementing this into their arsenal.

Swanson has more power and is more diverse in his game. He will throw more kicks than Edgar. Swanson will also throw more wild techniques if he does not fear Edgar's power or takedown ability.

Edgar is more of a straight boxer but with rapid movement.

The biggest factor between the two is their defense. Stats don't tell the whole story. FightMetric shows the matchup being slightly in favor of Edgar in significant strikes absorbed per minute, but that does not feel accurate, especially as of late. Edgar gets touched up by many of his opponents.

If Swanson can touch Edgar, it may not prove a fruitful night for the former UFC lightweight champion. The dynamic striking of Swanson in conjunction with Edgar's propensity to get hit cleanly tilts this in favor of Swanson.

Edge: Swanson

Grappling

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Swanson's athleticism will have to come into play if he wants to stop Edgar's takedowns, but he certainly has the ability to do so.

Edgar has shown the ability to take down anyone. He has proven this time and again inside the cage against the most difficult fighters to implement wrestling against. He took down BJ Penn several times in all of their battles and put featherweight champion Aldo on the canvas, too.

Swanson has good wrestling ability, but it isn't at the level of Edgar.

The former champion gets many of his takedowns because of his brilliant level changes. His fantastic boxing plays a big role in his takedown success. If Swanson can stymie Edgar on the feet, then he can make the takedown attempts more telegraphed. That is a tall order.

Edgar has the edge, but Swanson has all the talent to stop him if he stays disciplined.

Edge: Edgar

Submissions

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This may be the most difficult category for this fight. First, they are not the most submission-minded fighters. Second, they are fairly even.

Offensively, both Edgar and Swanson are on an equal playing field. If one has a slight advantage in the matchup, then it may lean toward Edgar thanks to positioning. His wrestling ability will likely put him in top position more than Swanson, and that could be key.

Regardless, it is still hard to pick between the two. As a tiebreaker, one has to look at their defensive abilities.

That is where Edgar appears to separate himself.

In just his last three fights, Edgar has been in the guard of Jose Aldo, Charles Oliveira and BJ Penn. Those are three fantastic, top-level jiu-jitsu practitioners, and he was never in any danger from top position in all three. He is good at being offensive from the top, forcing his opponent to defend, and he can defend the submission attempts easily as well.

The defensive abilities of Edgar give him the nod.

Edge: Edgar

X-Factors

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Edgar's X-Factor: Wear and Tear

Every fighter has a limit to how much punishment he or she can take, and Edgar may very well be reaching his limit.

The 33-year-old has been in some battles, and he has eaten a lot of shots to the dome.

History tells us that there comes a time when your chin says, "No more," and your resilience fades away. If that time is now for Edgar, he will not hold up to Swanson's power. He will need to be more defensive-minded on the feet in this fight.

Swanson's X-Factor: Five Rounds

In his last outing, which came against Jeremy Stephens, Swanson went past the third round for the first time in his career. He looked excellent in doing so, but this isn't Stephens he is fighting.

Edgar will keep a high pace and force him to work.

Stephens was successful on two takedown attempts early in the fight, got three of his attempts stuffed in each of the third and fourth rounds and didn't even try in the fifth (stats courtesy of FightMetric). The same won't hold true for Edgar. If he turns this into a grappling battle, Swanson will be defending in all five rounds.

Edgar's style can be taxing. Swanson's dynamic strikes require explosiveness. If this goes deep, it may be hard to side with Swanson.

Prediction

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This is Swanson's chance to grab the title shot and to put Edgar out to pasture as a legitimate title threat in the UFC.

He is able and willing, but that doesn't mean he will be successful. And I don't think he will.

Until I see Edgar lose his ability to recover, I'll have a feeling he can withstand the punishment. He took shots from some of the best and hardest-hitting fighters over the past few years. More often than not, he came out on top.

Edgar's ability to change levels will be the difference. Swanson won't be able to stop his takedowns, and it will wear on him throughout the fight. Edgar will take the necessary rounds to win on the scorecards, but he will not be able to get the finish.

This is an exciting fight between two of the best in the sport today. Swanson has to land the knockout blow, in my opinion. He won't be able to, and Edgar gets his hand raised after a 25-minute struggle.

Prediction: Edgar defeats Swanson by unanimous decision