With Urijah Faber contemplating a return, who should ‘The California Kid’ face?
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A short time ago, MMA legend Urijah Faber announced he is contemplating a UFC comeback. A first-time father at the ripe old age of 39, Faber appears to be motivated, fit and ready to go after being out of the game since 2016.
Since his retirement, Faber has continued to train hard as he competes in BJJ tournaments. He is scheduled to face teenage BJJ prodigy Nicky Ryan at a Polaris event in London next month.
Speaking to Ariel Helwani, Faber said, “I’ve been feeling great in practice. I actually feel like the rest has been a rejuvenating rest. My body feels amazing. My head feels clear, but I don’t like doing things on a whim. So I have actually been thinking about stepping back in there.”
Based off his chat with Ariel, it seems likely we see “The California Kid” back doing what he does best, sooner rather than later. Faber has remained in the USADA testing pool, “since day one because I thought I might want to jump in.” It now seems he’s ready to make the leap.
With a whole host of rivalries and contenders, Faber will certainly not be short of people happy to welcome him back to MMA.
Dominick Cruz
Perhaps the best and most unlucky bantamweight of all-time, Dominick Cruz, has also not competed since 2016. Various horrific, long term injuries have plagued a career, robbing fans of witnessing one of the best to ever do it at the heights of his powers. Cruz is currently on the road to recovery from a shoulder injury which saw his mouth-watering match-up against John Lineker scrapped.
The optimistic observer will predict Cruz will be back fighting again this year. With a similar lay off, historic rivalry, and guaranteed fan interest, this could be the perfect fight for both men as they look to get back in there. With Cruz currently 2-1 through the trilogy. Faber will surely want to go make that one right.
Renan Barao
Once proclaimed the P4P number one by UFC President Dana White, Renan Barao looks a shadow of his former self. Currently riding a 4-fight losing streak, the most recent defeat coming via a huge KO vs Luke Sanders.
If Faber want to ease his way back into things, this could be the fight. Falling twice to Barao at his blistering best, Faber will once again be keen to get this one back. With Barao looking far and away past his best, this would almost be a gimme fight at this point providing Faber hasn’t drastically diminished in his time out. With no injuries blocking a fight, this could be on the cards sooner rather than later.
TJ Dillashaw
The natural fight to make seems to be with TJ Dillishaw. The on-going beef between the recently renamed Team Alpha MMA (formerly Team Alpha Male) and TJ Dillashaw has been bubbling for quite some time now. Two quick KO victories over Team Alpha member Cody Garbrandt have given TJ the upper hand and Faber will be eager to avenge his teammate and friend.
A recent drug bust has Dillashaw side-lined for 2019 and also forced him to relinquish the 135-pound belt. When he returns, Faber may well be the match-up the UFC opts for. Such an intense rivalry, so much animosity and history between the pair would certainly sell.
Many might scoff at this matchup as TJ Dillashaw is at or close to his peak years, whilst Faber will be 40 years old by the time this one rolls around. Despite this the master vs student narrative, it’s just too interesting to pass up and it is certainly on Faber’s radar as the biggest, most lucrative and meaningful fight he can possibly get.
Title Contenders at 135
With Faber likely to return to his home of 135-pounds, he may want to take a run at the title. It all depends how serious he is about this. Does he just want a quick payday? Or does he really want to commit to the sport again? If he really wants to be the champion, there is several guys that will get him close to that. Without the spotlight or financial rewards, he will receive from the previously mentioned fights.
Peter Yan is highly touted and currently sitting at #9 in the rankings. He also seems to be constantly chasing an opponent. Jimmie Rivera holds a win over Faber and there appears to be no love lost between the pair. A win would snatch Rivera’s #7 ranking and propel Faber into title contention. Pedro Munhoz inflicted a third straight KO loss on Cody Garbrandt and seems on the precipices of a title shot. His number #4 ranking would be a worthy prize for such a tough fight. Lastly is Aljamain Sterling, #3 contender who has seemed unlucky to miss out on the title shot after his impressive win streak. Faber would provide the big fight Sterling has been waiting for whilst a win over Sterling will have Faber next in line.
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