Skip the punk, get with the Funk!
The combat sports community is abuzz with talk of Urijah Faber 2.0, who returned to mixed martial arts (MMA) last weekend in Sacramento and stopped bantamweight prospect, Ricky Simon, in the first round of their UFC Fight Night 155 co-headliner (highlights).
Sure, Simon had just three fights inside the Octagon prior to facing “The California Kid” and only landed at No. 15 in the division after John Lineker was given his pink slip, but we can’t let stupid little things like “facts” get in the way of nostalgia.
If we did, there would be no reason for headlines like this one, that actually have Faber in contention for the next shot at two-division champion, Henry Cejudo. I guess now is a good time to mention that Faber, 40, was ranked No. 7 before retiring back in late 2016.
Which is probably why No. 2-ranked Aljamain Sterling wants to “stop the bullshit.”
“I usually don’t do this but when I do, it’s to stop the bullshit,” Sterling wrote in a faux-political tone on Facebook. “Back to business! Your title challenger is here! Faber, great finish, but you need to at least beat someone in the Top 10. I’ll handle CeDooDoo, aka Triple Chump from here!”
Unfortunately for the top half of the bantamweight division, as well as the hungry flyweight contenders, Cejudo and his belts will be on the shelf until some point in 2020, thanks to recent shoulder surgery (more on that here).
That means Sterling and Faber, as well as Joseph Benavidez and Petr Yan, just to name a few, will spend the next few months bickering over who deserves the next crack at the crown, unless matchmakers decide to keep them busy in the process.
Who’s down for Sterling vs. Faber?