Cub Swanson to Light Aerial Tramway Holiday Tree

Cub Swanson, a member of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) Hall of Fame, will light the holiday tree at Palm Springs Aerial Tramway

PALM SPRINGS — Cub Swanson, a member of the UFC (Ultimate Fighting Championship) Hall of Fame, will serve as the 2022 celebrity tree lighter for the Palm Springs Aerial Tramway’s Annual Tree Lighting Ceremony on Sunday, Dec. 4.

Festivities begin at 5:30 p.m. at the Tram’s Mountain Station with the Palm Springs High School Madrigals & String Quartet performing holiday favorites. Swanson will follow by lighting the Tram’s landmark 45-foot tree decorated with more than 4,000 LED lights, which can be seen throughout the Coachella Valley.

Cub Swanson, a Coachella Valley native, is a legendary American mixed martial artist who currently competes in the UFC. Swanson was inducted into the 2022 UFC Hall of Fame earlier this year for his iconic fight against Doo Ho Choi in 2016. As a heavily decorated UFC fighter, Swanson was nicknamed “Killer” and has won ‘Fight of the Night’ six times, ‘Knockout of the Night’ two times, 2016 ‘Fight of the Year,’ and 13 career performance bonuses—the most in UFC featherweight division history.

In addition, Swanson owns and runs a UFC gym in Costa Mesa. He also raises his 3 children with his wife, Kenda Swanson, and hopes to inspire youth to train and live a healthier lifestyle. Born and raised in Palm Springs, Swanson is looking forward to this year’s tree lighting ceremony at the Tram. “The Coachella Valley has always been my home and I’m excited to be named this year’s tree lighter for the 2022 holiday season,” Swanson said in a statement.