RALEIGH, N.C. – Urijah Faber doesn’t know what’s next for him, but plans on staying ready.
40-year-old former WEC featherweight champ Faber (35-11 MMA, 11-7 UFC) returned from retirement with a 46-second knockout of Ricky Simon in 2019, which put him right back in the mix of bantamweight contention.
He then took on dangerous Russian prospect Petr Yan, but was knocked out in the third round at UFC 245.
And while Faber is unsure what’s in store for him next, he’s happy to wait until the right opportunity presents itself.
“I’ll stay fight ready at this point,” Faber told MMA Junkie this past Saturday at UFC on ESPN+ 24 in Raleigh, N.C., where he cornered Team Alpha Male fighter Sara McMann. “There’s no reason not to, and just see what happens. I’ve got to talk with the guys and see if something sounds good. But if I feel the itch, I’m a guy that lives in the moment. And also, it’s a great payday every time you fight, too, on top of being a lot of fun. So it’s something to think about. But (I have) no plans immediately.”
The fight with Yan may have been a dangerous one for Faber, but he wouldn’t have it any other way. Faber continues to fight the sport’s best, and he wants to take on fighters that will add to his legacy.
“I just want fights that are going to matter,” Faber said. “I think the fight against Petr Yan was one that was intriguing to me because, first and foremost, although the general public doesn’t know him, with the diehard fans, they understand what a dangerous guy he is. And I know for a fact, he’s going to be in this game for a long time doing big things. I like those kind of fights because you sneak in a win over a guy like that, eight years down the road, he might be the legend that’s coming back or somebody that was a title holder or something like that.”
Even during Faber’s two-year retirement period, he was regularly being offered fights by the UFC. He’s also consistently being called out, even by current UFC bantamweight champ Henry Cejudo not too long ago.
So he has no issues just waiting for a fight that intrigues him.
“I stay in great shape,” Faber said. “In my retirement, I was really retired – meaning I wasn’t even thinking about fighting, etc., other than they were offering me fights here and there. And over that time, I stayed in great shape.
“For me, I’m in the gym. I live a mile and a half from the gym. It’s what I know. And (I’m) also doing a bunch of other stuff on top of having a couple of fights this (past) year, which has been so much fun. Even in the loss, it felt like Christmas getting in there and throwing down. It’s just something that I enjoy. So I’m not sure what’s next for me, necessarily.”
Urijah Faber not sure if he'll fight again, but will stay ready for a 'fight that matters'
