Win or to be entertaining?

There was a point in Cub Swanson’s mixed martial arts career where he faced a dilemma that many fighters before have struggled with when it comes to how best to reach the pinnacle of the sport.

Is it more important to win or to be entertaining?

Swanson remembers posing the question to UFC matchmaker Sean Shelby, who chuckled before delivering an answer.

“Both,” Shelby told Swanson.

The simple-sounding response didn’t seem to provide much guidance on the surface, but somehow it made sense to the perennial featherweight contender.

Swanson has reeled off six consecutive wins in the UFC and has been awarded fight-of-the-night bonuses for his last two performances.

Yet Swanson has still yet to be awarded the title shot he feels he has long since earned.

“It’s been very frustrating,” he said by phone Monday as he prepares to fight former lightweight champion Frankie Edgar on Nov. 22 in Austin, Texas. “I feel like I’ve had the hardest road possible and it’s all good because I’m still here and I’m still winning. I can’t complain because at the end of the day, I’ll get the title fight, I’ll be champion and that’s that.”

Swanson, 31, hopes it will happen sooner rather than later. He actually looks at the fact he hasn’t been promised a title shot with a victory over Edgar as a positive sign.

“Every fight lately they would tell me, this is the No. 1 contender fight and if you win you’ll fight the champ. I never really believed it because I know how things happen. I know until you sign that dotted line on the contract you never really know. I’ve never let myself get that far ahead mentally. I’m just waiting for that official contract to come that I’m going to fight for the belt and that’s when I’ll know it’s going to really happen,” he said. “It’s funny because this is the one time they’re saying it’s not guaranteed I’ll get the shot with a win.

“But I’ll tell you this, I don’t care what anyone says, if I beat Frankie Edgar, I’m getting a title shot.”

Of course, Conor McGregor would likely disagree. McGregor has taken the UFC featherweight division by storm, mixing his brash, outgoing personality and penchant for trash talk with a crowd-pleasing fighting style. He is making his case that he should get the next shot at champion Jose Aldo should McGregor get by Dennis Siver in January.

Swanson admits contemplating whether taking on a more self-promotional persona would help him reach his goals, but says it would just be fake.

“I’ve considered it here and there because I’ve told myself that I have to stay with the times and ahead of the curve, but I’ve also told myself to be true to myself and be who I am,” he said. “I feel like spending my whole career being myself is more important than just trying to get famous.”

That was without question a reference to McGregor. Swanson wasn’t finished.

“I feel like that certain individual is going to end up broke, poor and beaten down at the end of his career,” Swanson said.

The Palm Springs, Calif., native believes if he just keeps winning fights, everything else will fall into place.

Winning has been all Swanson has done since the beginning of 2012. While Swanson is clearly among the most physically gifted fighters in the division, he largely credits his mental approach for his success.

“It was a confidence thing,” he said. “I just really came into my own as a martial artist and figured it all out. That made me free out there and able to have fun.”

SHOGUN NOT DONE — Former UFC light heavyweight champion Mauricio “Shogun” Rua was knocked out for the second straight time and suffered his fourth loss in five fights on Saturday night when rising contender Ovince St. Preux finished him in just 34 seconds.

Social media and the MMA blogosphere has spent most of the time since debating whether Rua, who is 32 and has the same number of professional fights, should step away from the sport.

The Brazilian, who is slated to coach the upcoming season of “The Ultimate Fighter: Brazil,” addressed his future on Facebook on Monday.

“Now I will rest, enjoy my family and then think about my next steps — TUF Brazil, maybe a weight class change,” Rua posted. “But I’ll keep on going (because) winning is easy, but (continuing to battle) and overcome the obstacles is what makes a true fighter. Thank you all for the support.”

FULL SLATE — Saturday night’s UFC 180 pay-per-view card in Mexico City, headlined by an interim heavyweight title bout between Mark Hunt and Fabricio Werdum, will have plenty of competition for the attention of mixed martial arts fans.

World Series of Fighting 15 airs at 6 p.m. Saturday on NBC Sports Network. The event features former UFC competitors Melvin Guillard and Yushin Okami in separate title bouts.

Also, a Bellator event will air on Spike TV. That card is headlined by a matchup of former UFC stars as Tito Ortiz fights Stephan Bonnar in a light heavyweight bout.

It’s believed to be the first time all three fight organizations have held televised live events on the same night.

Contact reporter Adam Hill at ahill@reviewjournal.com or 702-224-5509. Follow him on Twitter: @adamhilllvrj.