Photo by Chris Unger/Zuffa LLC
Bantamweight veteran Urijah Faber has some plans for his future in the Octagon.
Former WEC featherweight champion and MMA veteran Urijah Faber is not ready to hang up the gloves again just yet. The ‘California Kid’ signed a new UFC deal after suffering a vicious beatdown at the hands of top contender Petr Yan and is eager to call out some of bantamweight’s best athletes.
In an interview with Ag Fight, Faber revealed that the new contract will ensure that he remains with the UFC until the end of his career, but Urijah is not sure yet when he will exactly make his return.
“I told Dana I don’t want the temptation from all the other companies when I return from retirement. So we renegotiated the contract. I still have some fights left, but it doesn’t necessarily mean I’ll do one of them. We’ll see what opportunities come up. I’ll stay in shape, go to the gym and have fun.”
Although Faber still does not know if or when he will come back, he does have some names he would like to take on should he return to the Octagon again. Among them, some old rivals such as Jose Aldo and Dominick Cruz, but also some new ones, such as Henry Cejudo and his former Team Alpha Male pupil T.J. Dillashaw.
“Before I lost to Petr Yan, I wanted a title fight. I was the underdog against the young prospect, number three guy in the world, I knew it would be a hard fight. For my next fight, if they give me an opponent that makes sense, I need to win again before I set my goals, be it a superfight against T.J. Dillashaw, or being able to take a title fight on short notice, or facing one of the big names in the division. You got Dominick Cruz, T.J., Jose Aldo, Henry Cejudo, Marlon Moraes and all the up and coming guys who haven’t made a name for themselves yet. It’s an interesting time and I’ll take my time and see what I feel in my heart. Those are the fights that interest me, but I need to win again before that.”
In his last outing, back in December 2019, Urijah Faber lost via knockout to Petr Yan, at UFC 245. Before the loss, the 40-year-old stopped rising prospect Ricky Simon via TKO in the first round, in July of the same year,