Urijah Faber: I’m Going To Get That Belt And Be Champion
Urijah Faber is hot property in the UFC 135lb. division right now, fresh off his fourth consecutive win in the wake of UFC on Fox 9. Faber scored one of his trademark guillotine chokes in the second round of his barn burner against Michael McDonald.
‘The California’ kid has been floating around the top of his selected weight categories for a long time now; winning the WEC Featherweight title and gaining a total of five title shots in his WEC/UFC tenure. His impressive win at Fox 9 could/should mean that he will improve to six.
Faber stopped by to talk with Fox Sports to discuss the few fans that feel he should not receive a shot:
“Guys like Sean Shelby and Joe Silva, the guys that know the sport better than anyone else, a lot of times I was getting flack, ‘Oh Urijah’s title shots, he gets so many title shots’. These guys know that it’s not fair if you put me up against guys that aren’t on that title level because I’m a title level fighter. So now this will hopefully be a realization to some of the media out there that’s always looking to hype the guy who is marketable for getting title shots when in reality he’s just at that level.”
I personally think Faber has always proved himself in battle. Even in defeat, Faber is always a handful. He has had razor close fights with champ Dominick Cruz and Renan Barao and also gone the distance with Jose Aldo. Faber also holds the distinction of being man to beat, submit or finish Dominick Cruz.
“The reason I was fighting at 145 pounds wasn’t because I was a 145-pounder. When I first started in this sport in 2003 there were no 135-pounders, 145-pounders or 155-pounders in the UFC. I was taking fights, I was weighing about 148 and I was taking fights at 155 and 145 and then I became a champion at 145,”
“”My other losses are to Jose Aldo, who is the pound for pound best in the world right now in my opinion at 145 pounds, and then two to Mike Brown that one was a back elbow where I jumped into (the knockout) and another where I broke my hand in the first round and I couldn’t use my hand. Then I dislocated my thumb in the third round of a five-round fight.””
I’m a big fan of the Faber that fought McDonald and am very interested in seeing him face the winner of Cruz/Barao. It would truly be a great story if the 34 year old Faber was able to capture UFC gold.
“I don’t mind chilling for a bit, I’m a patient guy but if the UFC is dying for me to fight someone else, I’m not going to tell them no. I’m not going to wait on that account. I’ve never said no to any fight. I’m going to do everything on my side to make it happen and everything in my power to make it happen. I’m going to get that belt and be champion.”
Faber is the number two behind Cruz and Barao right now, and becomes the only logical contender to the winner at UFC 169 in February. Anything can happen, but as it stands; The UFC Bantamweight division could finally regain it’s legitimacy that has been marred in the Champion’s absence.
