T.J. Dillashaw and Urijah Faber are two of the best bantamweight fighters on the planet who just happen to be training partners with Team Alpha Male in Sacramento, Calif.
No problem, according to UFC president Dana White.
White said Wednesday on UFC Tonight that Dillashaw and Faber would be down to fight each other. Dillashaw is the current UFC bantamweight champion and Faber is one of the very best in the division, undefeated in non-title fights throughout his illustrious career.
“That’s possible,” White said. “Those guys have made it very clear that they will fight each other. We’ll see what happens.”
Dillashaw-Faber might happen one day, but it won’t be what is next for either one of them. White said last week that former champion Renan Barao will get the next title shot against Dillashaw following injuries to top contenders Dominick Cruz and Raphael Assuncao. As for Faber, White said the UFC has someone else in mind for him.
“That’s not the plan right now here today, but it’s definitely a fight I’d like to see,” White said of Faber-Dillashaw.
Both men have not been as unequivocal about an intra-Team Alpha Male fight as White is. Dillashaw considers Faber a mentor and would prefer not to fight him. Faber said Monday on The MMA Hour with Ariel Helwani that it is not his desire to compete against Dillashaw at this juncture, but left the door open for a potential bout.
Cruz was set to get the next shot at Dillashaw before getting injured and needing a third ACL surgery. That would have been far and away the most interesting fight in the 135-pound division. Assuncao has also earned his spot — he beat Dillashaw in 2013 by split decision.
Faber could end up facing a rematch with Francisco Rivera. The two met at UFC 178 in September and Faber accidentally poked Rivera in the eye, directly leading to Faber’s neck crank submission finish. Rivera is challenging the result with the Nevada Athletic Commission (NAC) and will have his case heard Monday.