Getty Urijah Faber
UFC Hall of Famer Urijah Faber hasn’t fully committed to retirement, and he recently said a possible fight with Cub Swanson is “meaningful” to him.
“The California Kid” is a multiple-time UFC bantamweight title challenger and he also held the World Extreme Cagefighting (WEC) 145-pound championship. The 42-year-old fan favorite has a professional mixed martial arts record of 35-11 and he hasn’t fought since a tough KO loss to Petr Yan at UFC 245 in December 2019.
Fast forward over two years and The California Kid still hasn’t officially called it quits. And while speaking with MMA Underground’s John Morgan, Faber didn’t shy away from Swanson’s recent challenge.
Swanson, who is also a WEC veteran, earned a first-round TKO win over Darren Elkins in his last outing, which took place in December during UFC Fight Night 199. “Killer Cub” spoke with MMA Junkie Radio after the fact and called out The California Kid to fight him for an “honorary WEC belt.”
“I would never rule that out,” Faber said about fighting Swanson via Sports Illustrated. “I haven’t heard anything, though, from UFC brass. Cub’s put some interest out there. I don’t have a big hit list of people, but I want to do stuff that sounds fun, that’s meaningful for me, and that would be pretty meaningful.”
Urijah Faber’s A1 Combat Is Set for Its First Event This Weekend
The California Kid has stayed busy outside of the cage, which includes him running his own fight promotion. On May 1, Urijah Faber’s A1 Combat will go down at the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Sacramento, California. The event will stream on the UFC Fight Pass with 12 MMA fights scheduled.
“It’s going to be awesome, man,” Faber said. “I think it’s kind of the perfect storm. You know, it’s been really needed in Northern California to have a high-level event and a place for these fighters to cut their teeth, get some exposure and have great matchups. It’s been an uphill battle over the last 10 years to get something to stick, and I think we’ve got a great recipe for it.”
“The community is hungry for some fights,” Faber continued. “I mean, we have so many fighters that need opportunities to get exposure, to build their records, to do what they love, and so being able to provide something that’s top-notch, high-quality, and with worldwide exposure is going to be awesome, and there’s the cool factor there.
“You know, we’ve got the Hard Rock Casino. There’s not a cooler casino than the Hard Rock, and so guys can get a real feel for what the high-level fights are going to feel like.”
Urijah Faber’s A1 Combat Is ‘What You Love About Mixed Martial Arts,’ The California Kid Said
The promotion has two more fight nights scheduled for May 28 and May 29, which are both set to take place at the Hard Rock as well. The California Kid promised that his events will be the full package, including prime commentary and interviews throughout the night.
“It’s going to be an awesome event,” Faber said. “You’re going to see some of Northern California’s finest. We’re going to put together a great show – everything that you see on these bigger shows. We’re going to have great commentary. We’ve got some great interviews backstage.
“We’re going to have ring girls and the whole mix, so it’s what you love about mixed martial arts, and it’s got a heart, so tune in. Don’t miss out.”