Urijah Faber: I’d Love To Fight Dominick Cruz Again, But I’m Down To Face Anyone
UFC bantamweight standout and former WEC featherweight champion Urijah Faber remains at the to end of the 135-pound division, having only lost to former champion Renan Barao in the last two years. Impressive victories over Michael McDonald, Iuri Alcantara, Scott Jorgensen and Alex Cacares, have ‘The California Kid’ currently residing at #2 in the bantamweight rankings.
The Team Alpha Male product was booked in to face Masnori Kanehara at UFC Fight Night 52 in Japan this September, but a lingering injury forced Faber from the card, and he was swiftly replaced by former foe ‘Bruce Leeroy”. Talking with The MMA Hour today, ‘The California Kid’ discusses the injury that caused him to be pulled from the event:
“Ribs are a real tricky thing, you never really know when they will heal. I didn’t know whether it was bruised or broken, and about a week before they announced I didn’t know if I’d be able to fight or not. I tore my hamstring in the lead up to the second fight with Barao, and it didn’t go that well, but I learned my lesson. At this point, I can grapple, but I don’t really want to get hit in the rib. I hadn’t done any training, and I wasn’t 100%, and then there is also the trip to Japan.”
So Faber is taking the high road here, and learning from the mistakes of the past. At the age of 35, and having fought in 19 pro title fights, you can’t deny that ‘The California Kid’ has a wealth of experience to call on. One subject remaining unanswered is the fight against Cacares, and the proposed fight against Kanehara were meaningless in the rankings, and a big risk for Faber. He continues:
“I didn’t really think about (Kanehara) coming off a loss (or the rankings). The rankings don’t mean crap. I take every guy very seriously. This is the best competition in the world, and these guys are invited here for a reason. (Kanehara) has a win over Korean Zombie, ‘Kid’ Yamamoto. A loss really doesn’t mean anything. A loss isn’t a loss always, it was a DQ loss. It doesn’t matter in the real world.”
It’s hard to argue with Faber’s logic, but I think that he is clearly head and shoulders above guys ranked outside the top 10 right now. Another point worth pondering is former bantamweight champ Dominick Cruaz; a two-time opponent of Faber, ‘The Dominator’ vacated the title seven months ago, but each man holds a loss to the other. Trilogy match anyone? Perhaps, if Cruz is successful in his UFC 178 bout against Takeya Mizugaki.
“I think that is a question for the matchmakers, but that is a fight that everyone wants to see. Then you have Barao, who is about to lose again to TJ, so maybe a fight (with Barao) would be a good fight. I have unfinished business with him. Either one would be good, or maybe Yamamoto. There are a lot of options. I’m down for it all, line ’em up, I’ll knock ’em down”
Faber’s game character and confident aura has won him countless fans since his early WEC days, and has also garnered a great deal of attention from the media for the lower weight divisions in the UFC. Do you think he would be back in line for another title shot if he wins another, or will he keep taking on all opponents, regardless of rank?
In my opinion, Faber vs. Cruz III makes the most sense.
