Faber Hungry to Pad Legacy
By Frank Curreri
MMA legend.
Hall of Famer.
The greatest featherweight in MMA history.
These are the distinguished labels Urijah Faber hopes to wear 20, 30 and 40 years from now.
The WEC poster boy knows that gracing magazine covers, while groovy stuff, won’t guarantee him immortality in the sport. And while a 20-1 record is impressive, it doesn’t necessarily make you a great fighter. When it’s all said and done, when Urijah Faber retires within the next six to 10 years, his resume is what will matter most. The number one question people will ask years from now is, “Who did he beat?”
That is why Faber’s looming showdown with Jens Pulver on Sunday (VERSUS, 9pm ET / 6pm PT) is so vital to helping shape Faber’s legacy. Right now, Faber’s most notable wins are over highly-regarded Jeff Curran and a disqualification victory over Ivan Menjivar
While the WEC featherweight champion has annihilated lesser-known opponents, he needs to beef up that resume if he’s going to justify being mentioned in the same breath as superstars like Georges St. Pierre, Anderson Silva and B.J. Penn. Their accomplishments are beyond reproach. St-Pierre’s list of victims includes Matt Hughes (twice), B.J. Penn and Sean Sherk. Silva has steamrolled the likes of Rich Franklin (twice) and Dan Henderson. And Penn has destroyed elite foes such as Sean Sherk, Matt Hughes, Takanori Gomi and Joe Stevenson.
To reach the promised land of greatness, Faber, like all legendary champions, must go through several top-tier guys like Pulver. So how will the “California Kid” respond to his first mega-fight and the added pressure of competing in front of his hometown of Sacramento?
“I don’t think there should be too much pressure on Jens,” said Faber, who recently celebrated his 29th birthday. “He’s kind of in a win-win situation. He’s established himself in the sport and been in this position before. It’s icing on the cake for him. So I would say the pressure is more on me than him and I’m OK with that. I’m just excited for this fight. It’s a chance to fight in front of my hometown crowd and it’s going to be awesome. I imagine I’ll just be pretty hyped up and ready to rock.”
Loose. Cool. Supremely confident. Those are the qualities Faber has projected thus far in his career, to the mass media and through his actions inside the ring. He is many praiseworthy things. He’s a charismatic and well-spoken MMA star, a world champion, a hometown hero and a guy who eagerly takes younger pros under his wing and teaches them the fight game.
But there are still some things we don’t know about him, things that may be revealed on Sunday. For instance, we don’t know exactly how sturdy Faber’s chin is; most of us have never seen a Faber fight where he was tested on his feet with hard shots. Most of us assume he has great cardio, but he’s never fought a fourth or fifth round in an actual fight – a testament to his dominance and finishing skills inside the cage. In fact, only three of Faber’s 21 fights have reached the third round – one of them a TKO loss to a much bigger Tyson Griffin. Pulver, 8-0 at 145 pounds, is far and away the most dangerous opponent Faber will have faced since Griffin.
Faber harbors a deep respect for the challenger, who has overcome a horrific and abusive childhood and is eyeing a return to the pinnacle of MMA. Because of that mutual respect, there has been no war of words between the two fighters.
“He’s a good fighter,” Faber said of Pulver. “He’s a dangerous fighter. I feel like he’s more dangerous and well-rounded than people give him credit for. The biggest thing is adjusting to a southpaw, because he’s a southpaw and I haven’t fought many southpaws.”
Though not yet as accomplished as Pulver, Faber believes he is as good as the hype that shines over him. Many consider him to be one of the top five pound-for-pound fighters in the world. He thinks he’s deserving of such privileged status.
“I feel like I’m as good as I practice and I practice probably better than anyone in the world,” he said. “If you ask the guys I train with they’ll tell you that I’m legit. I’m just looking to go out and prove it. It’s always a challenge. I think going out there and beating Jens is going to make a big statement.”
But beyond this fight, Faber says his future is not mapped out. His mother always wanted him to write down his goals on a piece of paper. But he’s not big on planning. He’s into adlibbing, flowing with the moment, following his heart and his passion and trusting that they will direct him where he needs to be.
He is asked how he envisions his career trajectory. Does he see himself as one of those larger-than-life athletes who can transcend a sport, much like an Oscar De La Hoya or a Michael Jordan, who have the uncanny power to make even non-fans know their name? Faber indicated this might be something that appeals to him, and pointed to soccer icon David Beckham as someone he admires.
“David Beckham is one guy I think has been great with athletics and sports,” Faber said. “He’s branded himself and become something more than just a sport. He’s one guy I think has done a great job with it. I’m not a big planner, but I could see doing some entertainment stuff down the road. But my first love is fighting. I actually was into acting before I was into MMA, when I was a little kid. My mom was a model and an actress. I did commercials and plays and stuff like that when I was a little kid. But I’m more into athletics.”
Faber’s “Ultimate Fitness” gym in Sacramento is quickly making a name for itself as a hotbed of future talent. The likes of Mark Munoz, Kenneth Alexander and unbeaten Joseph Benavidez also train there, among a talented host of others. Faber said he is receptive to dropping to 135 pounds, perhaps for a mega-fight or two.
“I definitely have a future there,” Faber said. “It’s not my main goal. I mean, once you win a world title at 145 pounds it’s not exactly like I have my eye on the prize at 135. But I want to make my name in this sport and do some incredible things, possibly going up to 155 and down to 135. You know, moving around a little bit will really help to make my name concrete in the sport. More than anything I want to have a presence in the sport even when I’m done fighting. If everything comes together I’d love to do it.”
The WEC featherweight champ also remains optimistic that a superfight against Japanese sensation Norifumi “Kid” Yamamoto will eventually materialize.
“If that fight doesn’t happen I’d be really surprised,” he said. “But before then I’ve got a couple of my guys that would love to take a stab at him. I’ve got Joseph Benavidez, who is 7-0. I’d love to see how Joseph matches up with him.”
By Frank Curreri
MMA legend.
Hall of Famer.
The greatest featherweight in MMA history.
These are the distinguished labels Urijah Faber hopes to wear 20, 30 and 40 years from now.
The WEC poster boy knows that gracing magazine covers, while groovy stuff, won’t guarantee him immortality in the sport. And while a 20-1 record is impressive, it doesn’t necessarily make you a great fighter. When it’s all said and done, when Urijah Faber retires within the next six to 10 years, his resume is what will matter most. The number one question people will ask years from now is, “Who did he beat?”
That is why Faber’s looming showdown with Jens Pulver on Sunday (VERSUS, 9pm ET / 6pm PT) is so vital to helping shape Faber’s legacy. Right now, Faber’s most notable wins are over highly-regarded Jeff Curran and a disqualification victory over Ivan Menjivar
While the WEC featherweight champion has annihilated lesser-known opponents, he needs to beef up that resume if he’s going to justify being mentioned in the same breath as superstars like Georges St. Pierre, Anderson Silva and B.J. Penn. Their accomplishments are beyond reproach. St-Pierre’s list of victims includes Matt Hughes (twice), B.J. Penn and Sean Sherk. Silva has steamrolled the likes of Rich Franklin (twice) and Dan Henderson. And Penn has destroyed elite foes such as Sean Sherk, Matt Hughes, Takanori Gomi and Joe Stevenson.
To reach the promised land of greatness, Faber, like all legendary champions, must go through several top-tier guys like Pulver. So how will the “California Kid” respond to his first mega-fight and the added pressure of competing in front of his hometown of Sacramento?
“I don’t think there should be too much pressure on Jens,” said Faber, who recently celebrated his 29th birthday. “He’s kind of in a win-win situation. He’s established himself in the sport and been in this position before. It’s icing on the cake for him. So I would say the pressure is more on me than him and I’m OK with that. I’m just excited for this fight. It’s a chance to fight in front of my hometown crowd and it’s going to be awesome. I imagine I’ll just be pretty hyped up and ready to rock.”
Loose. Cool. Supremely confident. Those are the qualities Faber has projected thus far in his career, to the mass media and through his actions inside the ring. He is many praiseworthy things. He’s a charismatic and well-spoken MMA star, a world champion, a hometown hero and a guy who eagerly takes younger pros under his wing and teaches them the fight game.
But there are still some things we don’t know about him, things that may be revealed on Sunday. For instance, we don’t know exactly how sturdy Faber’s chin is; most of us have never seen a Faber fight where he was tested on his feet with hard shots. Most of us assume he has great cardio, but he’s never fought a fourth or fifth round in an actual fight – a testament to his dominance and finishing skills inside the cage. In fact, only three of Faber’s 21 fights have reached the third round – one of them a TKO loss to a much bigger Tyson Griffin. Pulver, 8-0 at 145 pounds, is far and away the most dangerous opponent Faber will have faced since Griffin.
Faber harbors a deep respect for the challenger, who has overcome a horrific and abusive childhood and is eyeing a return to the pinnacle of MMA. Because of that mutual respect, there has been no war of words between the two fighters.
“He’s a good fighter,” Faber said of Pulver. “He’s a dangerous fighter. I feel like he’s more dangerous and well-rounded than people give him credit for. The biggest thing is adjusting to a southpaw, because he’s a southpaw and I haven’t fought many southpaws.”
Though not yet as accomplished as Pulver, Faber believes he is as good as the hype that shines over him. Many consider him to be one of the top five pound-for-pound fighters in the world. He thinks he’s deserving of such privileged status.
“I feel like I’m as good as I practice and I practice probably better than anyone in the world,” he said. “If you ask the guys I train with they’ll tell you that I’m legit. I’m just looking to go out and prove it. It’s always a challenge. I think going out there and beating Jens is going to make a big statement.”
But beyond this fight, Faber says his future is not mapped out. His mother always wanted him to write down his goals on a piece of paper. But he’s not big on planning. He’s into adlibbing, flowing with the moment, following his heart and his passion and trusting that they will direct him where he needs to be.
He is asked how he envisions his career trajectory. Does he see himself as one of those larger-than-life athletes who can transcend a sport, much like an Oscar De La Hoya or a Michael Jordan, who have the uncanny power to make even non-fans know their name? Faber indicated this might be something that appeals to him, and pointed to soccer icon David Beckham as someone he admires.
“David Beckham is one guy I think has been great with athletics and sports,” Faber said. “He’s branded himself and become something more than just a sport. He’s one guy I think has done a great job with it. I’m not a big planner, but I could see doing some entertainment stuff down the road. But my first love is fighting. I actually was into acting before I was into MMA, when I was a little kid. My mom was a model and an actress. I did commercials and plays and stuff like that when I was a little kid. But I’m more into athletics.”
Faber’s “Ultimate Fitness” gym in Sacramento is quickly making a name for itself as a hotbed of future talent. The likes of Mark Munoz, Kenneth Alexander and unbeaten Joseph Benavidez also train there, among a talented host of others. Faber said he is receptive to dropping to 135 pounds, perhaps for a mega-fight or two.
“I definitely have a future there,” Faber said. “It’s not my main goal. I mean, once you win a world title at 145 pounds it’s not exactly like I have my eye on the prize at 135. But I want to make my name in this sport and do some incredible things, possibly going up to 155 and down to 135. You know, moving around a little bit will really help to make my name concrete in the sport. More than anything I want to have a presence in the sport even when I’m done fighting. If everything comes together I’d love to do it.”
The WEC featherweight champ also remains optimistic that a superfight against Japanese sensation Norifumi “Kid” Yamamoto will eventually materialize.
“If that fight doesn’t happen I’d be really surprised,” he said. “But before then I’ve got a couple of my guys that would love to take a stab at him. I’ve got Joseph Benavidez, who is 7-0. I’d love to see how Joseph matches up with him.”