It seems like every time Urijah Faber’s stock plummets in the UFC’s bantamweight division, the former WEC featherweight champion uses a brilliant performance to thrust it back into relevance.
Just like he had done after decision losses in title fights to Jose Aldo and Dominick Cruz, “The California Kid” bounced back from his loss to interim bantamweight champ Renan Barao with an impressive win via submission over Ivan Menjivar at UFC 157.
Faber won via rear-naked choke over Takeya Mizugaki at WEC 52 to respond to his setback against Aldo at WEC 48. He then redeemed himself from a loss to bantamweight champ Cruz at UFC 132 by guillotining Brian Bowles at UFC 139.
With his victories over Raphael Assuncao, Mizugaki, Eddie Wineland, Menjivar and Bowles, the 33-year-old Faber appears destined to clash with former interim title challenger Michael McDonald in his next bout.
One of the UFC’s youngest fighters, the twice-beaten McDonald saw his eight-fight winning streak come to a halt when he got strangled by interim champ Barao at UFC on Fuel TV 7.
Faber offered these sentiments regarding up-and-coming fighters like McDonald at the UFC 157 post-fight press conference.
It is true that our sport is getting tougher and tougher. You’ve got these young kids that are growing up and eating and breathing, everything’s MMA. And I feel like I was one of the trendsetters, that I was like that as a little kid myself, before there was even a UFC. So it’s great to see the new generation come in, and I’m right there. I’m ready to do this.
Faber also joked about rumors that his spot on the UFC’s roster was on the line against Menjivar by saying: “I was ranked No. 3 going into this fight and I performed well, so whatever these guys want to do. As long as Dana’s (White) not planning on cutting me this time—which you guys started, not him. I’m just ready to fight whoever.”
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