Even if he fails to ever achieve UFC gold, Urijah Faber will go down as one of the all-time greats in MMA.
Faber takes on Jimmie Rivera this Saturday night at UFC 203 looking to bounce back after falling to UFC bantamweight champion Dominick Cruz in June.
For “The California Kid,” this represents yet another young challenger thrown in front of him as he tries to keep his spot on the ladder. Until a 2015 loss to Frankie Edgar, Faber (33-9) had never been defeated in non-title fights.
“I’ve had a lot of fights where the guy is virtually unknown, but very tough,” Faber said. “The ones that stand out are obviously the big fights — title fights and super-fights — but this is part of the game. Part of the reason people love to watch me is because I fight. I’m not here to protect a legacy or anything. I’m excited for this fight.”
He claimed WEC gold before that promotion was absorbed by the UFC and has since faced the likes of Cruz and Renan Barao for the bantamweight title. Each time, though, Faber came up empty.
In Rivera, he’ll get a 27-year-old who has gone 3-0 inside the Octagon and is 19-1 overall in his career. He hasn’t lost since his second pro fight in 2008.
“I like this kid’s attitude. I like what he represents,” Faber said of Rivera. “He’s a hard-working guy and a respectful guy. He’s put in his time and it sounds like guys are dodging him, because he’s tough and not many people know him. There are a bunch of wussies out there. This is not a sport to be a baby.”
