For Urijah Faber, his move to the UFC so far has proven to be both bitter and sweet.
Previously the face of the now defunct WEC promotion, the former world champion has been welcomed into the Las Vegas-based promotion with much fanfare. A charismatic, witty, good-looking guy with formidable skills, Faber has done well to translate his success into the “big leagues.”
Faber currently holds a subtle 1-1 record inside the Octagon, but looks can be deceiving. In his first outing, “The California Kid” defeated former 135-pound champion Eddie Wineland in the co-main event of UFC 128.
His performance earned him a title shot against nemesis Dominick Cruz, who reigned as the organization’s rightful bantamweight champion. Though Faber held a previous first-round submission victory over “The Dominator,” the second going proved to be much more contentious.
The two engaged in a tooth-and-nail, back-and-forth battle this past July, which lasted all five rounds. The bout has since been nominated for Fight of the Year and netted both an additional $75k in bonus earnings. In the end, Cruz was awarded the close-decision victory.
No question, Faber performed admirably and has given Cruz his toughest battles to date. All other competitors have always been just one step behind the 25-year-old, who last weekend defended his title for a record-setting fourth time (in the bantamweight class) against the world-ranked Demetrious “Mighty Mouse” Johnson.
Just a few weeks removed from his title tilt with Cruz, Faber was immediately back in action as it was announced that he will take on fellow former champ Brian Bowles. The two meet next at UFC 139, which takes place at the famed HP Pavilion in San Jose on Nov. 19.
After coming off the loss to Cruz, the organization showed the kind of confidence they have in Faber. He is perhaps the most well-known of the new batch of fighters that entered the Octagon from the WEC merger less than a year ago.
With his ascending popularity, coupled with his obvious talent, there’s no reason to deny Faber his spot as the next challenger to Cruz’ title.
UFC president Dana White has already previously stated that the winner between Bowles-Faber will get the next crack at the 135-pound belt. However, it will be up to the head honcho of “Team Alpha Male” to secure a blockbuster rubber match with Cruz.
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