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UFC 203 is right around the corner, with the weigh ins just done. This Saturday (Sunday morning in India), former WEC Featherweight Champion, and the perennial title contender, Urijah Faber will be fighting a relatively unknown Jimmie Rivera.
Urijah has never backed down from a fight, and has always cherished the idea of fighting the promotional up and comers, giving them a top ranked opponent.
Urijah is wary of his opponent, who happens to be a high volume striker. Rivera mixes his striking with kicks, and has a good take down defense. With an impressive win – loss record of 19 – 1, and on an 18 fight win streak, Rivera is no push over, and Urijah knows better than to underestimate his opponent.
Urijah is also arguably the biggest 135’er, and as such, had to cut down a lot to make weight. Deep into the fight week while cutting weight, Urijah gave us an exclusive interview, and talked about various topics, including the unique situation he finds himself in, with Cody Garbrandt and T.J. Dillashaw finding themselves alongside Faber at 135.
Urijah dropped a decision victory to Dominick Cruz at UFC 199, and while “The California Kid” is getting back inside the Octagon to erase the bitter taste, he knows that with a convincing victory over Rivera, he will once again be involved in discussion for a title fight, especially if Cruz drops the title. However, the fighter who will be facing Cruz is Cody, who trains with Team Alpha Male.
Talking about Cody as a fighter, Faber refused to take credit for the fighter Cody has turned out to be. Instead, he told me that he was merely mentoring him, guiding him in the right direction.
“You know, I wish I could take credit for all of Cody’s skills; that’s not the case. He has been a wrestler since he was four years old. He’s a state champion in Ohio, and he’s very legit. He has been boxing at his uncle’s since he was a young kid as well.”
“Since his earliest memory, he has been in the gym, doing mitt work, boxing with his brother and he has a decade of amateur career as well. So, I take credit as a mentor for him, helping him nurture and training and spar right with our team, the coaching staff that we have, and helping create that mentality, allowing him to see the visions that he has already been thinking since he was a little kid to become a world champion.”
“He’s an amazing fighter. He is someone that is very mature for his age in a lot of different ways – the things he has seen in his life, things he has experienced as an athlete, and his skill set, his work ethic and his experience are all a great combination. He is fighting Cruz, who is a tough champion and a very talented guy as well. It’s a good match up for Cody.”
If Cody manages to beat Cruz, you have the likes of T.J. lurking around for a title shot. While T.J. has been calling Urijah out, the former WEC Featherweight Champion had earlier said that he doesn’t see anything positive coming out of a showdown with his former protégé. Urijah also expressed his amusement at the predicament he finds himself in.
Talking about a potential fight with Dillashaw, Faber said, “You never know. It’s not something that I’m excited about, I do this for, uh, I don’t even like thinking about the whole situation. I like the process and build up, but I don’t think I would in that case.”
“As of right now, I feel there are options for me and, we’ll see; we never know what happens. I’m not going to fight Cody, there’s no way. I’d then go up and fight for that belt than to face Cody. So, it’s a unique situation and like I said, you never know what’s going to happen.”
So what can the fans expect when Faber steps inside the Octagon this weekend? “Just basically, make sure you tune in. It’s going to be a crazy fight. Rivera is a tough opponent, and I’m looking forward to perform and be the best Urijah Faber out there and get the win.”
