By Michael Hatamoto

UFC 149 in just a few days time is headlined by an interim bantamweight championship fight between top contender Urijah Faber and high-ranked Renan Barao.

It’s an interesting matchup because Faber is currently ranked #2 behind champion Dominick Cruz and Barao is ranked #3. Since joining the UFC following a successful debut in the WEC, Barao has proven to be a top bantamweight contender — and is now 3-0 in the UFC.

Faber was expected to rematch Cruz in a long-anticipated grudge match — the third fight between the two rivals — but Cruz became injured and the UFC was left scrambling to find a replacement.