Urijah Faber

By Michael Hatamoto

Former UFC featherweight champion the ‘California Kid’ Urijah Faber used The Ultimate Fighter 17 Finale as a platform to show nay-sayers he can still compete.

Since moving to Bantamweight Faber has lost two title fights and many MMA critics wondered if the 33-year-old is still a top level fighter.

I always thought people were being far too dramatic, even though it surely appears Faber has lost a step over the past couple of years.

Here is what Faber said prior to the Jorgenson fight (via UFC.com):

“I feel like every fight in this division is high risk, low reward for me because I’ve got one of the bigger names in the lighter weight divisions. Whatever that’s a testament to – whether it’s my fighting over the years, being a world champion before, or people liking my personality – whatever the case, I have one of the more notable names in the sport, for the lighter weights especially, so at this point, every fight is riskier for me on that front.”

Faber is expected to take a small break to physically heal and mentally refresh after fighting in February and shortly again in April.

I don’t know if he’s ready to compete for a title again, but he’s still a dangerous opponent for just about everyone in the decision. Faber’s experience mixed with his strong wrestling and grappling makes him a threat any time the fight hits the ground.