LAS VEGAS – It was inevitable that just one fight into his MMA bantamweight career, the questions about a title shot for Urijah Faber would come.
Faber, the most dominant featherweight champion in WEC history and the promotion’s poster boy the last four years, made his debut at 135 pounds Thursday at WEC 52. And while some, including opponent Takeya Mizugaki, questioned whether the weight cut would be too much for him the first time out, Faber quickly silenced any naysayers with a devastating first-round rear naked choke victory.
Given that nine of Faber’s 12 fights in the WEC have been in title fights, and that as both champion and challenger he’s a proven draw, the win over Mizugaki may have fast-tracked him toward a bantamweight title shot.