Urijah Faber continues to be below UFC contract regardless of final combating within the octagon in 2019, however he’s holding just a few doorways open in case potential challenges come his approach sooner or later.
Faber competed this previous Friday in Abu Dhabi, defeating Bibiano Fernandes by way of choice in a grappling match in the primary occasion of ADXC 5. He instructed MMA Preventing that combating below MMA guidelines will not be his No. 1 alternative in the mean time, however he gained’t rule it out both.
“I keep within the drug [testing] pool simply because I don’t do medication and also you by no means know if a chance presents itself, however I doubtless won’t be doing MMA [again]. However you by no means know,” Faber mentioned. “I don’t assume I’d wish to do bare-knuckle, however you by no means know. I believe I’ll do fight jiu-jitsu as a result of I really feel like that’s the brand new age, that’s the place issues are going. My model, Staff Alpha BJJ is about staying protected and being harmful. My jiu-jitsu is real-world relevant, MMA relevant, and it’s the stuff that works for fights. I wish to maintain constructing on that and maintain showcasing that.
“So MMA, perhaps not, however fight jiu-jitsu, sure. Extra of this grappling, sure.”
Requested if he’d be open to competing once more within the UFC since he’s nonetheless below contract, the 45-year-old veteran mentioned “it’d should be the correct situation.” The identical applies to bare-knuckle matches. Faber returned from retirement in July 2019 and walked by way of rising prospect Ricky Simon in 46 seconds, however hasn’t fought in MMA since dropping a stoppage to Petr Yan that very same yr.
“I’ve had some good provides money-wise for bare-knuckle, however I’m not making an attempt to battle world champion boxers in bare-knuckle,” Faber mentioned. “You recognize, I’ve received youngsters, I don’t wish to break cheekbones and that form of stuff, lose tooth. But when they’d an fascinating matchup, my boy Conor McGregor is now an proprietor there, so he may most likely discover an opponent for me. I’m simply competing. At [age] 45, I wish to maintain testing myself and maintain staying energetic as an athlete. It’s my ardour. That’s what I’ve carried out my complete life.”
Faber’s former opponent Jose Aldo examined himself in boxing ring after taking a while off from MMA, after which just lately returned to the UFC with a classic efficiency in Might, dominating Jonathan Martinez. Aldo in the end re-signed with the UFC and now faces Mario Bautista in October, however Faber, who memorably misplaced to Aldo for the WEC title again in 2010, can be involved in dealing with his fellow veteran within the boxing ring sooner or later.
“Chad Mendes and I each fought Jose Aldo and he was our hardest battle, so I’d desire to not get beat up by Aldo at this level in my life,” Faber mentioned with fun. “I’d do a boxing match in opposition to him. I believe they provided me one thing not too way back, earlier than he signed again with the UFC, however it was not the form of supply that was tremendous intriguing. And I talked to Aldo earlier than about bare-knuckle. He has no need of doing bare-knuckle. However I’d do a boxing match with Jose Aldo.
“I like boxing. I like pure boxing. I like pure wrestling. I like pure jiu-jitsu. I like mixing it collectively. I’d not wish to do a kickboxing match with Jose Aldo, that’s for rattling positive,” Faber continued with one other giggle. “I discovered my lesson. Google ‘Urijah Faber’s leg,’ and should you don’t know what we’re speaking about, you’ll know.”
For now, Faber continues to give attention to grappling matches like his contest with Fernandes. He’s now using a two-match win streak, having beat Jeff Glover in fight jiu-jitsu as properly.
“Bibiano and I are very alike and prefer to push ourselves,” mentioned Faber, who fought an inexperienced Fernandes in MMA again in 2006. “I think about myself a world-class jiu-jitsu participant. I imply, there’s no secret about that. All through the years, I’ve competed and pushed myself with guys like [Rubens] Charles ‘Cobrinha’ and Jeff Glover. All of the heavy hitters of my period, I attempt to get my fingers on them and roll all through my complete profession. And I’ve had a giant give attention to jiu-jitsu since I ended combating.
“I like to compete and I don’t have time to go to tournaments and do all the things else, so taking the cream of the crop and showcasing my talent set is one thing that I actually cherish. With the ability to receives a commission for trip, however go do one thing that I like and form of unfold the data that I’ve and showcase what I’ve been engaged on is a good feeling.
“I don’t assume that lots of people understand how into jiu-jitsu I’m,” Faber continued. “I’ve my complete system, Staff Alpha BJJ, my guys understand it, my college students understand it, and it’s distinctive. It’s very distinctive. It’s loads of scrambling, loads of wrestling, loads of jiu-jitsu, so I used to be completely satisfied to have the ability to showcase it. It makes issues simple when you realize what you’re doing.
“After I turned 45 this yr, I used to be like, man, keep younger by being with younger intentions, and that’s competing, testing myself, placing challenges on the market, getting out of your consolation zone. I’m coming over to the opposite facet of the world to go in opposition to a world champion and put it on the market for the world to see as a 45-year-old man, it’s thrilling to have the ability to do that also. For me to develop as a combined martial artist and check with the issues that I’m working, it’s actually cool to have the ability to try this.”
