One question I want to know the answer to is what is next for “The California Kid” Urijah Faber following his strong performance against Jens Pulver. Faber is by far the best featherweight in the world. The question is who is he going to fight next. He has beaten some good opponents in Jeff Curran and now Jens Pulver. I think there are a couple of options for Faber.
1. He could stay in the featherweight divison of the WEC and keep defending his belt. There are still a few guys he could beat, but I do not know who can compete with him seriously. Perhaps Cub Swanson or someone else would make sense, but I don’t think it would be much of a fight. I just don’t know what else he has to prove in the featherweight divison. The only talent that can compete with him is not in the WEC.
2. He could move up to lightweight in the WEC. He is big enough to do it and I think would do well. I think he would destroy guys liek Rob McCullough or Jamei Varner.
3. He could move up to lightweight in the UFC. He has said he would like to avenge his loss to Tyson Griffin, and Tyson is in the UFC. That would be an interesting fight, which I suspect will be a reality sooner than later. I would like to see how Faber would stack up against other UFC lightweights. I think he would do just fine. I think he could plow through the Roger Huerta’s of the UFC, but some guys would be tough for him. A B.J. Penn fight would be a smash hit and huge draw from a marketing stand point, but that isn’t likely yet as Penn will probably next fight the Florian vs. Huerta winner and then move up to fight St. Pierre if he still has the belt. I don’t know the logistics of how it would work, but I look for the Faber vs. Griffin fight to happen and I suspect Faber would have to move up to 155 for one fight at least. Perhaps by the end of the year the UFC will plan a interpromotional fight card with the WEC. How would you like to see fights like…Georges St. Pierre vs. Carlos Condit, Brian Stann vs. Jackson/Liddell/Wanderlei, Faber vs. Tyson Griffin, Paulo Filho vs. Anderson Silva ??
4. He could do some inter promotional fights with other featherweights. Perhaps a fight with Kid Yamamoto or another top featherweight.
Faber is young and still has a lot of fight in him. I don’t know who else he will fight. To me Faber defending his belt against some other WEC opponent would be a let down from the huge Pulver fight. Perhaps a Faber vs. Pulver II is possible, but Faber was so dominant that I cannot see the logic behind that.
Filed under: B.J. Penn, Dana White, Jens Pulver, Norifumi Yamamoto, Tyson Griffin, Urijah Faber, WEC, WEC 34: Faber vs. Pulver | Tagged: B.J. Penn, Cub Swanson, Jeff Curran, Jens Pulver, Norifumi Yamamoto, Tyson Griffin, Urijah Faber, WEC |
MMA Blog 
Faber would get pummeled by B.J. Penn. Sean Sherk could beat Faber. In fact, Sean Sherk against Faber would be one hell of a fight. Roger Huerta would beat Faber. Kenny Florian would destroy Faber. Jens Pulver is not a boxer. He is a wrestler with a left and a good sprawl, that’s it. Clay Guida would make Faber beg for mercy. All wrapped up in one, Faber would be just another fighter in the UFC. Now having said that, if the UFC created a 145 class, well Faber does stand a chance, but at 155, he stands no chance, maybe he would be competitive.
Carlos Condit would get destroyed by Georges St, Pierre, no question. Chuck Liddell would make Brian “All-American” Stann wish he never took up the sport of MMA. Wanderlei Silve would laugh at Brian Stann after he knocked him out. Brian has got talent, but he is still raw. Give him a few more years or a year and a half, maybe, and thats a big MAYBE!
I agree Condit would get destroyed by GSP, but who wouldn’t? I just thought it was be a marketable fight in the sense that you take the champs at welterweight and pair them off.
I also agree Brian Stann couldn’t hang with any of the top 10 in the UFC light heavyweight. I just think it would be marketable to see two champs and brawlers to fight each other.
I believe B.J. would beat Faber, but I don’t know about getting punsihed. I think I would pick Florian to beat Faber because of his ability to fight on the ground and throw elbows. However, I think Faber could beat a guy like Huerta and Guida. Huerta IMO is overrated. He was getting beat by Guida. Leonard Garcia gave him fits. I think Faber vs. Sherk would be a good match.
By the way, Pulver is a boxer, he boxed some professionally. He is known as one of the best boxers in the 145 weight class. What impressed me was Faber out boxed him, the way Penn out boxed Sherk.
yea right ok B.j and Urijah would be a close match but i dont think there is anyone in this world that would make Faber beg for mercy…..he is just strong hearted and after losing to brown again he aint stoppin at nothin now Faber is commin on a rampage watch out WEC and hopefully soon
UFC
If Faber was at 155 in the UFC he woul be a top 5 hands down. I would rank him #3 behind Penn and Florian. I also would admit there would be some tough match ups style wise for Faber. Tyson Griffin beat him. I think a jiu jistsu guy like Nate Diaz would be tough for him.
Faber vs. Florian would be one of the most entertaining fights coming up. They are both exciting and lethal fighters. I’m sure they both would be talking up a storm too. I still take faber though
Just to throw in my two cents I think the move for Faber up to 155 would be a terrible career move. He would be able to hold his own, no doubt, but he is a natural 145 and he would lose his main strength which is conditioning if he moved up. He is also on average shorter than the UFC 155 and would lose out on the reach advantage. I think would go about 50-50 in the UFC at 155. However, he is on a whole other level than the rest of the 145ers in the WEC and something has to change that. On a different note do you guys not think the WEC is just totally kicking ass right now. The fighters might not be the caliber of those in the UFC but all these guys throw down in every fight and the WEC producers do an awesome job airing events. Props to the WEC, my favorite organization by far.
Urijah Faber no doubt is a good fighter…key word GOOD…he hasnt proven much look 80% of his fights maybe more are won by CHOKES and when tyson griffin beat him it was from intense striking put him up against Penn or Sherk and hes done…if you put him up against somone like GSP which is completely OUT OF THE QUESTION anyways he wouldnt make it out concious…i mean come on…i think Faber’s best bet is to come to the UFC and fight somone like nate diaz even tho that would be a test i think its safe and as we all know faber LOVES to pick safe fights…
I think a dream fight would be for Faber to go up to Lightweight in UFC and take on Mac Danzig…who forgot to throw him in there he is fight guida at UFC 87…or maybe they could pick the winner of that fight to fight faber but i think Danzig would be too much for Faber and whoever saw him fight in canada at ufc 83 would agree he is a force to be reckoned with in the UFC and it is obvious!
URIJAH FABER IS OBVIOUSLY AN AMMAAZZINGG FIGHTER I JUST THINK HE SHOULD STAY IN THE WEC …. BECAUSE THAT IS WHERE HIS CAREER STARTED,, HE IS REALLY DEDICATED TO MMA..AND I REALLY APREACIATE THAT BUT NO MATTER WHAT URIJAH IS SO GOOD IN THIS SPORT … ILL SUPPORT ANYTHING HE DOES…..
GO……..
URIJAH FABER….
ILY…
mikebispingeatsbabies u are an absolute idiot spewing your uneducated opinions as fact. “we all know faber LOVES to pick safe fights…” total trash if you had a fraction of your facts straight you would know that in order for a fighter to even fight a “belt match” he would have to work his way up to it meaning he isnt a push over, not to mention Urijah’s calling out of Kid Yamamoto after his win over Chance Farrar I’m positive that another Champion like Kid would be “easy in your words” for a “good….keyword good fighter” like faber…….get your facts straight or shut your mouth
At the end of the day, it’s all about the marketing . . filling the seats and generating income (i.e., pay per views). The UFC will make more money by bringing Urijah Faber to the UFC and so will Urijah Faber. Faber is in a good position to add some substantial capital to his retirement fund.
Do the math and compare the fighter’s pursues between the UFC and WEC. Forrest got $250K for beating Jackson. Faber is a great long time champion but he is only getting $40 to $44K or so per fight. Even Josh Koscheck got $70K – do you see my point?
I think Faber would first face Tyson Griffin. If Faber beats Tyson, Faber will get a title shot; otherwise, Faber will face Sherk (which is still a great draw!). If Faber loses to Sherk (by decision), then Faber will lose some glory.
Alternatively, if Faber stays in the WEC, he may grow bored and lose his killer instinct and retire early. I would counsel Faber to make the move to the UFC by September with the chance of earning $250K plus per fight within 12 months (3 times a year) if he remains unstoppable. What say ye?
I’d like to see the move because I love the UFC and I’d like to see all the fighters in one place…I love the UFC Light Heavyweight divison because all the best are there with the exception of 3 guys (Little Nog, Babalu, and Arona). With that said, Faber is the star of the WEC. He will not move to the UFC. He could move to 155 in the WEC. I guess it all depends on what Faber wants. If he wants to amass a lot of wins, stay at 145 in the WEC. He ain’t loosin’ at 145 anytime soon. If he wants the challenge of fighting the best and maybe losing some, move to 155 in the UFC. I don’t think Faber would lose at 155 in the WEC, whose gonna beat him? McCullough? Varner? Ha
I think a super fight which I heard rumored this week would be Faber vs. Torres. I think that would be interesting, but both guys are considered by many to be top ten pound for pound, and if they fight each other one of them will lose and it will hurt their marketing. If I was Zuffa and the WEC I’d avoid that even though it would make a ton of money. The fight everyone wants for Faber is Kid Yamamoto.
If I was Faber I’d want to avenge my loss to Tyson Griffin.
I believe Urijah Faber would hold is own with anyone. Bj penn, florian, doesn’t really matter who the hell it is. The “California Kid” will always come out on top. Besides the fact that Jens Pulver is a boxer, so to say, he was still undefeated, until Urijah Faber whooped that ass… Urijah all the way son.
I love MMA and the WEC.
OMG OMG I AM FABERS BIGGEST FAN!!! OUT THERE!!