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Urijah Faber

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Urijah Faber
Faber in 2009
BornUrijah Christopher Faber
(1979-05-14) May 14, 1979 (age 45)
Isla Vista, California, U.S.
Other namesThe California Kid
Height5 ft 5 in (165 cm)
Weight135 lb (61 kg; 9 st 9 lb)
DivisionBantamweight (2003–2006; 2010–2016; 2019)
Featherweight (2006–2010; 2015)
Reach67 in (170 cm)[1]
Fighting out ofSacramento, California, U.S.
TeamTeam Alpha Male
TrainerThonglor "Master Thong" Armatsena
Fábio "Pateta" Prado
Martin Kampmann
RankBlack[citation needed] belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu under Fábio "Pateta" Prado[2]
WrestlingNCAA Division I Wrestling[3]
Years active2003–2016, 2019
Mixed martial arts record
Total46
Wins35
By knockout10
By submission17
By decision7
By disqualification1
Losses11
By knockout4
By decision7
UniversityUniversity of California, Davis
Notable school(s)Lincoln High School
Websitehttp://www.urijahfaber.com/
Mixed martial arts record from Sherdog

Urijah Christopher Faber[4] (/jəˈraɪə ˈfeɪbər/ yoo-RY-ə FAY-bər; born May 14, 1979) is an American former mixed martial artist and actor. He competed in the bantamweight and featherweight divisions of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). He is the founder of Team Alpha Male.

Faber was an NCAA wrestler. With his base in wrestling, he later started Brazilian jiu-jitsu and quickly earned a brown belt under Fábio "Pateta" Prado.[5] Faber won the WEC featherweight championship at WEC 19 on March 17, 2006, and held the title for over two and a half years until losing it to Mike Brown at WEC 36 on November 5, 2008. He went on to challenge for the WEC featherweight championship two more times and challenged for the UFC Bantamweight Championship four times.

Faber is widely regarded as one of MMA's pioneers for establishing legitimacy to lighter-weight classes.[6] After his retirement on July 6, 2017, Faber was inducted into the UFC Hall of Fame as a part of the Modern-era wing. He came out of retirement in 2019 and defeated Ricky Simón by first-round TKO.

Early life

[edit]

Faber was born on May 14, 1979, in Isla Vista, California, to Theo and Suzanne Faber. He is of Dutch descent on his father's side, and Italian, English, and Irish[7] on his mother's side.[8] He went to Glen Edwards Middle School, Casa Roble High School[9] and Lincoln High School (Lincoln, California). He has two siblings, Ryan and Michaella. Faber graduated from the University of California, Davis with a bachelor's degree in Human Development. While at UC-Davis, Faber qualified for the national NCAA tournament in 2001 and 2002 in wrestling.

Mixed martial arts career

[edit]

Faber made his professional MMA debut as part of the Gladiator Challenge promotion on November 12, 2003, defeating Poes Manne by a guillotine choke at 1:22 of round 1. Faber then defeated George Adkins by TKO (strikes) on February 12, 2004, earning a shot at GC Bantamweight champion, David Velasquez. On June 6, 2004, Faber defeated Velasquez by unanimous decision, becoming the new GC Bantamweight champion. In his first title defense, Faber defeated Del Hawkins by TKO (strikes) at 3:19 of the first round on August 19, 2004. After this fight, Faber began to take fights in both GC and King of the Cage, GC's parent promotion.

Upon moving to KOTC, Faber defeated Rami Boukai by majority decision on September 24, 2004, barely a month after his last fight. On November 14, 2004, Faber defeated Eben Kaneshiro by submission (strikes) to win the King of the Cage Bantamweight Championship, co-holding it with the GC Bantamweight title.

On March 13, 2005, Faber made his return to GC, defeating David Granados by rear naked choke at 2:13 of round 1. On May 7, 2005, he defended his KOTC belt for the first time, defeating Hiroyuki Abe by TKO (cut) at 2:37 of the third round. Returning to GC on September 10, 2005, Faber had his first defeat, losing the GC Bantamweight championship to Tyson Griffin by TKO (strikes) in the third round, in only five seconds.

On October 29, 2005, Faber defended his KOTC title again, defeating Shawn Bias by guillotine choke at 1:24 of the first round. He returned to GC on December 11, 2005, defeating Charles Bennett by rear-naked choke at 4:38 of round 1. Faber then fought at a TKO Major League MMA event on January 8, 2006, facing Ivan Menjivar. Faber won by disqualification at 2:02 of the second round when Menjivar landed an illegal kick to a downed Faber.

World Extreme Cagefighting

[edit]

On March 17, 2006, Faber competed for the first time in the World Extreme Cagefighting promotion, beating Cole Escovedo by second-round doctors stoppage and winning the WEC Featherweight Championship.[10] On May 13, 2006, he fought for the King of the Cage Bantamweight Championship for the third time, defeating Charlie Valencia by rear naked choke submission at 3:09 of the first round. Faber then returned to GC July 1, 2006, and defeated Naoya Uematsu by TKO (strikes) at 3:35 of round 2 to reclaim the GC Bantamweight championship, thus holding three titles at once. Faber then took a fight in the Full Contact Promotions organization on September 9, 2006, defeating Enoch Wilson by TKO (strikes) at 1:01 of the second round. On October 28, Faber returned to KOTC and defended his title for the fourth and last time, defeating future DREAM and ONE FC champion Bibiano Fernandes by TKO (cut) at 4:16 of round 1. Faber later vacated his KOTC and GC titles upon signing a contract with the WEC after it was purchased by Zuffa in December 2006.

At WEC 25: McCullough vs. Cope on January 20, 2007, Faber defended his WEC Featherweight Championship for the first time since winning it ten months prior, defeating Joe Pearson by submission (strikes) at 2:31 of the first round. At WEC 26: Condit vs. Alessio on March 24, 2007, he successfully defended his title for a second time by defeating Dominick Cruz by guillotine choke submission at 1:38 of round 1, the first of only four losses in Cruz's career.[11]

At WEC 28: WrekCage on June 3, 2007, Faber defeated Chance Farrar by rear-naked choke submission at 3:19 of the first round. In his post-fight interview, Faber called out K-1 Hero's 2005 Middleweight Tournament Champion Norifumi Yamamoto, though the fight never materialized. After this match, Faber took a six-month break between fights, the longest of his career. He came back at WEC 31: Faber vs. Curran on December 12, 2007, defeating Jeff Curran by guillotine choke submission at 4:34 of the second round. Also on this card was the WEC debut of Jens Pulver, who was moving back down to featherweight from the lightweight division. In Pulver's WEC debut, he submitted Cub Swanson in the first round of their match setting up a title match between Pulver and Faber. Pulver and Faber both commented in their post-fight interviews that they wanted to fight each other, and the match was signed for June 1, 2008, at WEC 34: Faber vs. Pulver. Faber and Pulver fought a constant back-and-forth battle, but neither man was able to finish the other and the fight went the full five rounds, the first time in Faber's WEC career that one of his fights had gone the distance. The judges scored the bout a unanimous decision for Faber, (50–45, 50–44, and 50–44).[12] This fight also marked both the first time that one of Pulver's fights at featherweight had gone to decision and the first time Pulver had been defeated at that weight class.

Losing the title

[edit]

Faber was next scheduled to fight Mike Brown at WEC 36 on September 10, 2008, at the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Hollywood, Florida. However, this fight was postponed due to the threat of Hurricane Ike and was rescheduled for November 5, 2008, at the same location. Faber was defeated via TKO at 2:23 of the first round.[13]

On January 25, 2009, at WEC 38 Faber fought Jens Pulver in a rematch, with Faber winning by guillotine choke submission at 1:34 of the first round. Post-fight, Faber addressed WEC Featherweight Champion Mike Brown, who was seated at ringside and announced he wanted a shot at regaining his title.[14] When Brown made his first successful title defense at WEC 39 in Corpus Christi, Texas, he responded to Faber's comments by saying that a rematch between the two of them was something "the fans want to see."[15]

Faber was defeated a second time by Mike Brown at WEC 41 on June 7, 2009, by a unanimous decision (49–46, 49–46, and 48–47) in front of his hometown crowd in Sacramento. Early in the fight, Faber broke his right hand and later dislocated his left thumb, resorting to using primarily elbows and kicks starting in the third round. Nonetheless, even in the fifth round, Faber threw 15 left hooks or jabs, many of which connected. Sherdog and ESPN.com in a post-fight article noted that Faber's "right hand was no match for the top of Mike Brown's head." Immediately after the fight, Faber stated that despite the close decision, he would still like another fight against Brown.[16]

Faber appeared on WEC 43 as a guest commentator and returned to action in January. He submitted Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt, Raphael Assunção via rear naked choke submission in third round at WEC 46,[17] earning the Submission of the Night award.[18]

With the victory over Assunção, Faber earned a shot to fight José Aldo for the WEC Featherweight Championship on April 24, 2010, at WEC 48.[19] In the fight, he had no answer for the kicks from Aldo, which sent him to the canvas several times. Faber lost via unanimous decision.[20]

Move to bantamweight

[edit]

Faber decided to move down to bantamweight after his defeat by José Aldo at featherweight. He was set to move down against Japanese striker Takeya Mizugaki on August 18, 2010, at WEC 50.[21] However, Faber was forced off the card with an injury. As a result, Mizugaki was also pulled from the event.[22]

The bout with Mizugaki was rescheduled and took place on November 11, 2010, at WEC 52.[23][24] Faber defeated Mizugaki via first round rear naked choke, earning Submission of the Night honors.[25][26] With the victory over Mizugaki, Faber won his ninth WEC bout, a promotional record he shares with Antonio Banuelos and Poppies Martinez.

Ultimate Fighting Championship

[edit]

On October 28, 2010, the WEC merged with the UFC. As part of the merger, all WEC fighters were brought over to compete in the two new weight divisions.[27]

Faber made his promotional debut against former WEC Bantamweight Champion Eddie Wineland on March 19, 2011, at UFC 128.[28] Faber won the back-and-forth fight via unanimous decision.[29]

A rematch with Dominick Cruz, whose only defeat to that point came by Faber in 2007 took place on July 2, 2011, at UFC 132,[30] in which Faber lost via unanimous decision.[31] Both participants earned Fight of the Night honors.[32]

Faber faced Brian Bowles on November 19, 2011, at UFC 139.[33] It was said that the winner would be awarded with a title shot.[34] Faber defeated Bowles via second round submission (guillotine choke), earning Submission of the Night honors.[35][36]

Following his win at UFC 139, Faber was selected to be a coach on The Ultimate Fighter: Live opposite Dominick Cruz.[37] Following the conclusion of the reality show, it was confirmed that Faber/Cruz III was expected to take place on July 7, 2012, at UFC 148.[38] However, Cruz was forced to pull out of the bout citing ACL injury.[39] It was then announced that Faber would remain on the UFC 148 fight card and face Renan Barão in a bout for the UFC Interim Bantamweight Championship, where the winner would go on to face Dominick Cruz for the UFC Undisputed Bantamweight Championship at a later date.[40] However, due to an injury to headliner José Aldo, who was supposed to fight Erik Koch in the originally-scheduled main event, the Faber/Barão bout was moved from UFC 148 on July 7, 2012, to UFC 149 on July 21, 2012, as the event's new main event.[41] He lost the fight by unanimous decision, suffering a broken rib during the first round.[42]

Faber faced Ivan Menjivar in a rematch on February 23, 2013, at UFC 157.[43] Faber defeated Menjivar in the first round with a rear naked choke submission.[44]

On April 13, 2013, Faber faced Scott Jorgensen at The Ultimate Fighter 17 Finale.[45] After a fast-paced and technical fight, Faber submitted Jorgensen via rear-naked choke at 3:16 in the 4th round.[46] In the ringside interview, Faber noted, "He knows my stuff, so it was a tough fight. He made one small technical error, and I was able to capitalize on it. Props to Scotty for being a great fighter."

Faber faced Iuri Alcântara on August 17, 2013, at UFC Fight Night 26.[47] Despite being in trouble early in the first round, Faber recovered and used his wrestling and relentless top game, outstriking Alcântara 127 to 25 over the duration of the bout. As a result, Faber earned a unanimous decision victory.[48]

Faber faced Michael McDonald on December 14, 2013, at UFC on Fox 9.[49] In the second round, Faber stunned McDonald with a flurry of punches, McDonald went to the canvas and Faber jumped on him and finished the fight by submission due to a guillotine choke.[50] Subsequently, Faber was awarded with Submission of the Night honors for his performance.[51]

When Dominick Cruz injured himself before his unification bout with Renan Barão, Faber was chosen as the replacement in the title fight at UFC 169.[52] Faber lost the fight via TKO in the first round. During the fight, Barão knocked Faber down, after which he proceeded to strike him on the ground. Faber grabbed Barão's leg, and gave the referee the thumbs-up, indicating that he wanted the fight to continue. The referee did not see the thumbs-up and stepped in to end the fight, to the surprise of Faber and the spectators.[53][54] In his post-fight interview, he told Joe Rogan that he believed his teammate TJ Dillashaw should get the next crack at Barão.[55]

Faber next faced Alex Caceres at UFC 175 on July 5, 2014.[56] He won the fight via submission, making Caceres tap to a rear naked choke at 1:09 of the third round.[57]

Faber was briefly linked to a bout with Masanori Kanehara on September 20, 2014, at UFC Fight Night 52.[58] However, before the bout was officially announced, Faber was removed and Kanehara faced Alex Caceres.[59]

Faber next faced Francisco Rivera on December 6, 2014, at UFC 181.[60] Faber won the fight via second round submission. However, the ending was controversial, as Faber stunned Rivera with an eyepoke during a standup exchange. The eyepoke went unnoticed by the referee, but immediately preceded the fight ending submission.[61] Rivera's management team indicated that they planned to appeal the result in hopes that it would be changed to a no contest, and that the UFC could schedule a rematch with Faber.[62] Ultimately, the NSAC upheld the result of a submission victory for Faber.[63]

A rematch with top contender Raphael Assunção was expected to headline UFC Fight Night 62 on March 21, 2015.[64] However, Assunção was forced out of the bout as an ankle first injured in mid-December 2014 was slow to heal and that he was unable to resume the proper training to prepare for the fight in that time frame.[65][66] Subsequently, the UFC removed Faber from the card, and he is expected to be rebooked, possibly against a new opponent at a different event.[67]

A long speculated "superfight" with former UFC lightweight champion Frankie Edgar took place on May 16, 2015, at UFC Fight Night 66. After speculation as to what weight class the bout was to be contested, either featherweight, bantamweight or at a catchweight of somewhere in between, it was announced that the bout would be contested at featherweight.[68][69][70] Faber lost the fight via unanimous decision, this was his first career loss in a non-title bout.[71]

In mid 2015 Faber served as coach in UFC's The Ultimate Fighter show for a second time, this time coaching against Conor McGregor, with the pair not expected to fight at the end of the season.[72] Faber's team member Ryan Hall ended up winning the competition.[73]

Faber faced Frankie Saenz on December 12, 2015, at UFC 194.[74] He won the back-and-forth fight by unanimous decision.[75]

A rubber match with Dominick Cruz took place on June 4, 2016, at UFC 199 for the UFC Bantamweight Championship.[76] Faber's walkout song was Crazy In Love by Beyonce featuring Jay-Z. He lost the fight via unanimous decision.[77]

Faber next faced Jimmie Rivera on September 10, 2016, at UFC 203.[78] He lost the fight via unanimous decision.[79]

Final fight and retirement

[edit]

In October 2016, Faber announced that his next fight, a bout against Brad Pickett on December 17, 2016, at UFC on Fox 22 in his home town of Sacramento would be his last.[80][81] Faber went on to win the fight by unanimous decision.[82] After the conclusion of the bout, Faber confirmed his retirement from the sport after a 13-year career.[83]

2019 return

[edit]

After two-and-a half years away from mixed martial arts competition, Faber made his return to the Octagon as he faced Ricky Simón on July 13, 2019, at UFC Fight Night 155.[84] He won the bout via TKO in the first round, becoming the second fighter to win a UFC bout after being inducted to the UFC Hall of Fame.[85][86] This win earned him the Performance of the Night award.[87] After the fight, Faber signed a new contract with the UFC.[88]

Faber faced Petr Yan on December 14, 2019, at UFC 245.[89] He lost via knockout in the third round.[90]

Team Alpha Male

[edit]

See Team Alpha Male

Grappling career

[edit]

In December 2021, Faber agreed on short notice to compete in his first Combat Jiu-Jitsu match against a CJJ world champion Elias Anderson, at the Featherweight edition of the CJJ world championships.,[91] but passport issues led to Faber being replaced by Erik Perez, who lost to Anderson.[92] The match between Anderson and Faber was then re-booked for Combat Jiu-Jitsu Worlds Team Duel on December 18, 2022.[93] Neither man was able to win regulation time and Faber lost by armbar in EBI overtime.[94]

Faber returned to wrestling competition at the 2022 US Open alongside his teammate Clay Guida, coming away with a silver medal at the event.[95]

Faber was scheduled to compete in a rematch against Jeff Curran under Combat Jiu-Jitsu rules at A1 Combat 21 on May 25, 2024.[96] Curran withdrew from the match due to undisclosed reasons and was replaced by Jeff Glover.[97] Faber won the match by submission with a rear-naked choke.[98]

Faber faced Bibiano Fernandes in the main event of ADXC 5 on August 3, 2024.[99] He won the match by decision.[100]

Personal life

[edit]

Faber and Jaslyn have a daughter who was born on March 14, 2019, and a son who was born on October 8, 2020.[101]

Championships and awards

[edit]

Mixed martial arts record

[edit]
Professional record breakdown
46 matches 35 wins 11 losses
By knockout 10 4
By submission 17 0
By decision 7 7
By disqualification 1 0
Res. Record Opponent Method Event Date Round Time Location Notes
Loss 35–11 Petr Yan KO (head kick) UFC 245 December 14, 2019 3 0:43 Las Vegas, Nevada, United States
Win 35–10 Ricky Simón TKO (punches) UFC Fight Night: de Randamie vs. Ladd July 13, 2019 1 0:46 Sacramento, California, United States Performance of the Night.
Win 34–10 Brad Pickett Decision (unanimous) UFC on Fox: VanZant vs. Waterson December 17, 2016 3 5:00 Sacramento, California, United States
Loss 33–10 Jimmie Rivera Decision (unanimous) UFC 203 September 10, 2016 3 5:00 Cleveland, Ohio, United States
Loss 33–9 Dominick Cruz Decision (unanimous) UFC 199 June 4, 2016 5 5:00 Inglewood, California, United States For the UFC Bantamweight Championship.
Win 33–8 Frankie Saenz Decision (unanimous) UFC 194 December 12, 2015 3 5:00 Las Vegas, Nevada, United States
Loss 32–8 Frankie Edgar Decision (unanimous) UFC Fight Night: Edgar vs. Faber May 16, 2015 5 5:00 Pasay, Philippines Featherweight bout.
Win 32–7 Francisco Rivera Submission (bulldog choke) UFC 181 December 6, 2014 2 1:34 Las Vegas, Nevada, United States
Win 31–7 Alex Caceres Submission (rear naked choke) UFC 175 July 5, 2014 3 1:09 Las Vegas, Nevada, United States
Loss 30–7 Renan Barão TKO (punches) UFC 169 February 1, 2014 1 3:42 Newark, New Jersey, United States For the UFC Bantamweight Championship.
Win 30–6 Michael McDonald Submission (guillotine choke) UFC on Fox: Johnson vs. Benavidez 2 December 14, 2013 2 3:22 Sacramento, California, United States Submission of the Night.
Win 29–6 Iuri Alcântara Decision (unanimous) UFC Fight Night: Shogun vs. Sonnen August 17, 2013 3 5:00 Boston, Massachusetts, United States
Win 28–6 Scott Jorgensen Submission (rear-naked choke) The Ultimate Fighter: Team Jones vs. Team Sonnen Finale April 13, 2013 4 3:16 Las Vegas, Nevada, United States
Win 27–6 Ivan Menjivar Submission (standing rear-naked choke) UFC 157 February 23, 2013 1 4:34 Anaheim, California, United States
Loss 26–6 Renan Barão Decision (unanimous) UFC 149 July 21, 2012 5 5:00 Calgary, Alberta, Canada For the interim UFC Bantamweight Championship.
Win 26–5 Brian Bowles Submission (guillotine choke) UFC 139 November 19, 2011 2 1:27 San Jose, California, United States UFC Bantamweight title eliminator. Submission of the Night.
Loss 25–5 Dominick Cruz Decision (unanimous) UFC 132 July 2, 2011 5 5:00 Las Vegas, Nevada, United States For the UFC Bantamweight Championship. Fight of the Night.
Win 25–4 Eddie Wineland Decision (unanimous) UFC 128 March 19, 2011 3 5:00 Newark, New Jersey, United States
Win 24–4 Takeya Mizugaki Technical Submission (rear-naked choke) WEC 52 November 11, 2010 1 4:50 Las Vegas, Nevada, United States Return to Bantamweight. Submission of the Night.
Loss 23–4 José Aldo Decision (unanimous) WEC 48 April 24, 2010 5 5:00 Sacramento, California, United States For the WEC Featherweight Championship.
Win 23–3 Raphael Assunção Submission (rear-naked choke) WEC 46 January 10, 2010 3 3:49 Sacramento, California, United States Submission of the Night.
Loss 22–3 Mike Brown Decision (unanimous) WEC 41 June 7, 2009 5 5:00 Sacramento, California, United States For the WEC Featherweight Championship. Fight of the Night.
Win 22–2 Jens Pulver Submission (guillotine choke) WEC 38 January 25, 2009 1 1:34 San Diego, California, United States Submission of the Night.
Loss 21–2 Mike Brown TKO (punches) WEC 36 November 5, 2008 1 2:23 Hollywood, Florida, United States Lost the WEC Featherweight Championship.
Win 21–1 Jens Pulver Decision (unanimous) WEC 34 June 1, 2008 5 5:00 Sacramento, California, United States Defended the WEC Featherweight Championship. Fight of the Night.
Win 20–1 Jeff Curran Submission (guillotine choke) WEC 31 December 12, 2007 2 4:34 Las Vegas, Nevada, United States Defended the WEC Featherweight Championship. Fight of the Night.
Win 19–1 Chance Farrar Submission (rear-naked choke) WEC 28 June 3, 2007 1 3:19 Las Vegas, Nevada, United States Defended the WEC Featherweight Championship.
Win 18–1 Dominick Cruz Submission (guillotine choke) WEC 26 March 24, 2007 1 1:38 Las Vegas, Nevada, United States Defended the WEC Featherweight Championship. Submission of the Night. Broke the record for the most consecutive WEC Featherweight Championship title defenses (2).
Win 17–1 Joe Pearson TKO (punches and elbows) WEC 25 January 20, 2007 1 2:31 Las Vegas, Nevada, United States Defended the WEC Featherweight Championship. Knockout of the Night.
Win 16–1 Bibiano Fernandes TKO (doctor stoppage) KOTC: All Stars October 28, 2006 1 4:16 Reno, Nevada, United States Defended the KOTC Bantamweight Championship.
Win 15–1 Enoch Wilson TKO (doctor stoppage) FCP: Malice at Cow Palace September 9, 2006 2 1:01 San Francisco, California, United States
Win 14–1 Naoya Uematsu TKO (punches) GC 51: Madness at the Memorial July 1, 2006 2 3:35 Sacramento, California, United States Won the GC Bantamweight Championship.
Win 13–1 Charlie Valencia Submission (rear-naked choke) KOTC: Predator May 13, 2006 1 3:09 Globe, Arizona, United States Defended the KOTC Bantamweight Championship.
Win 12–1 Cole Escovedo TKO (corner stoppage) WEC 19 March 17, 2006 2 5:00 Lemoore, California, United States Won the WEC Featherweight Championship.
Win 11–1 Ivan Menjivar DQ (illegal kick to downed opponent) TKO 24: Eruption January 28, 2006 2 2:02 Laval, Quebec, Canada Featherweight debut.
Win 10–1 Charles Bennett Technical Submission (rear-naked choke) GC 46: Avalanche December 11, 2005 1 4:38 Coarsegold, California, United States Defended the KOTC Bantamweight Championship.
Win 9–1 Shawn Bias Submission (standing guillotine choke) KOTC: Execution Day October 29, 2005 1 1:24 Reno, Nevada, United States Defended the KOTC Bantamweight Championship.
Loss 8–1 Tyson Griffin TKO (punches) GC 42: Summer Slam September 10, 2005 3 0:05 Lakeport, California, United States Lost the GC Bantamweight Championship.
Win 8–0 Hiroyuki Abe TKO (doctor stoppage) KOTC: Mortal Sins May 7, 2005 3 2:37 Primm, Nevada, United States Defended the KOTC Bantamweight Championship.
Win 7–0 David Granados Submission (rear-naked choke) GC 35: Cold Fury March 13, 2005 1 2:13 Porterville, California, United States
Win 6–0 Eben Kaneshiro TKO (punches) KOTC 44: Revenge November 14, 2004 3 4:33 San Jacinto, California, United States Won the vacant KOTC Bantamweight Championship.
Win 5–0 Rami Boukai Decision (majority) KOTC 41: Relentless September 29, 2004 2 5:00 San Jacinto, California, United States
Win 4–0 Del Hawkins TKO (punches) GC 30: Gladiator Challenge 30 August 19, 2004 1 3:19 Colusa, California, United States
Win 3–0 David Velasquez Decision (unanimous) GC 27: FightFest 2 June 3, 2004 3 5:00 Colusa, California, United States Won the GC Bantamweight Championship.
Win 2–0 George Adkins TKO (corner stoppage) GC 22: Gladiator Challenge 22 February 12, 2004 2 2:42 Colusa, California, United States
Win 1–0 Jay Valencia Submission (guillotine choke) GC 20: Gladiator Challenge 20 November 12, 2003 1 1:22 Colusa, California, United States

Pay-Per-View Bouts

[edit]
No. Event Fight Date Venue City PPV Buys
1. WEC 48 Aldo vs. Faber April 24, 2010 ARCO Arena Sacramento, California, United States 175,000[114]
2. UFC 132 Cruz vs. Faber 2 July 2, 2011 MGM Grand Garden Arena Las Vegas, Nevada, United States 350,000[115]
3. UFC 149 Faber vs. Barão July 21, 2012 Scotiabank Saddledome Calgary, Alberta, Canada 235,000[116]
4 UFC 169 Barão vs. Faber 2 February 1, 2014 Prudential Center Newark, New Jersey, United States 230,000[117]

Filmography

[edit]
Year Title Role Notes
2010 The MMAX (MMA-XTRA) MMA Expert/Contributor 2010 TV series
2011 Kenny Powers: The K-Swiss MFCEO Himself Short film
2011 Leverage Roper 2008 TV series (Episode: "The Carnival Job")
2011 Cagefighter Himself Documentary
2015 Reach Me Student Feature Film
2018 Rampage Garrick Feature Film

See also

[edit]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ "Fight Card - UFC 181 Hendricks vs. Lawler II". UFC.com. Retrieved December 7, 2014.
  2. ^ Guilherme Cruz (January 31, 2014). "Coach: Urijah Faber won't receive black belt in jiu-jitsu with win at UFC 169". MMAfighting.com.
  3. ^ "Urijah Faber - Official UFC fighter Profile". UFC.com. Archived from the original on January 22, 2015. Retrieved December 7, 2014.
  4. ^ "Urijah Faber ("The California Kid") | MMA Fighter Page". Tapology. Retrieved 2024-12-12.
  5. ^ Nick Caron (July 3, 2011). "UFC 132: Did Dominick Cruz Take a Shot at Urijah Faber with Blue Belt Promotion?". Bleacher Report.
  6. ^ Dave Doyle (2012-02-07). "A pioneer for smaller fighters, Urijah Faber not ready to call it quits just yet". si.com. Retrieved 2013-02-07.
  7. ^ "I have some Irish blood in me" - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ntPFX7NroVg&t=1m2s
  8. ^ "UFC 132: Urijah Faber Embraces 'No Shirt Nation' Prior to UFC 132 Title Fight". YouTube. 29 June 2011. Archived from the original on 2021-12-13.
  9. ^ "Urijah Faber: Why the California Kid is Ready to Blow Up". FIGHTMAGAZINE.com. December 2007. Archived from the original on 2013-05-17. Retrieved 2010-10-08.
  10. ^ Bissell, Tim (17 March 2020). "This day in MMA History: Urijah Faber wins WEC title, Leon Edwards and Paul Craig get last second stoppages". bloodyelbow.com. Retrieved 28 May 2022.
  11. ^ Grant, T.P. (22 August 2013). "Throwback Thursday: Urijah Faber vs Dominick Cruz, WEC 26 (March 24, 2007)". bloodyelbow.com. Retrieved 28 May 2022.
  12. ^ Staff (2008-06-02). "Faber Outslugs Pulver in Five-Round Classic at WEC 34; Torres Also Retains Belt". cagepotato.com. Retrieved 2008-06-02.
  13. ^ Morgan, John (6 November 2008). "WEC 36 recap: Mike Brown upsets ex-champ Urijah Faber with quick TKO". mmajunkie.usatoday.com. Retrieved 28 May 2022.
  14. ^ Nason, Josh (26 January 2009). "Jamie Varner Wins Controversial Decision, Urijah Faber Cruises at WEC 38". bleacherreport.com. Retrieved 28 May 2022.
  15. ^ Knapp, Brian (2 March 2009). "WEC 39 Notebook: Brown-Faber Rematch Next?". sherdog.com. Retrieved 28 May 2022.
  16. ^ Nason, Josh (8 June 2009). "WEC 41 Results: Featherweight Champion Mike Brown Defeats Urijah Faber". bleacherreport.com. Retrieved 28 May 2022.
  17. ^ "Henderson Conquers Varner for Title; Faber Wins in Comeback". www.wec.tv. Retrieved 2010-01-11.
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[edit]
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Urijah Faber.
Awards and achievements
Preceded by 2nd WEC Featherweight Champion
March 17, 2006 – November 5, 2008 		Succeeded by
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