Urijah Faber could be getting his final chance to capture UFC gold at Saturday’s UFC 149.
After his rematch with bantamweight champion Dominick Cruz was canceled due to the titleholder’s knee injury, Faber will now meet Renan Barao in a bout for an interim 135-pound title.
Prior to joining the UFC, Faber was a long-reigning WEC featherweight champion and became recognized as the best 145-pound fighter in MMA history for a time. Now, he will look to earn the one thing he was incapable of winning during the height of his career—a UFC championship.
With 28 straight wins, Barao has an excellent chance of stealing Faber’s moment.
In addition to providing a title fight in the main event, UFC 149 at Scotiabank Saddledome in Calgary, Canada will also feature a middleweight tussle with title shot implications. Coming off of a come-from-behind win over Yushin Okami, Tim Boetsch will welcome former Bellator champion Hector Lombard to the UFC in a bout that could earn the winner a fight with champion Anderson Silva.
Furthermore, Cheick Kongo will try to get back on track against Shawn Jordan, while Brian Ebersole will attempt to remain undefeated inside the Octagon against James Head before making a surprise move to the lightweight division.
Shortly after the event concludes, Faber, Barao, Boetsch, Lombard and several more of the night’s competitors will likely join UFC president Dana White for a post-fight press conference. A live streaming feed of the post-fight press conference will be available on the above video player.
After the press conference, stay tuned to Bleacher Report for more on UFC 149 and the rest of your MMA needs.
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