UFC Hall of Famer Urijah Faber is focused on a number of different things right now, and fighting is among them.
During the same week that two of his Team Alpha Male underlings compete in the UFC and he hold his first A1 Combat event in Wheatland, Calif., Faber (35-11 MMA, 11-7 UFC) still has competition on his mind. Even though he hasn’t competed since December 2019 at UFC 245, Faber continues to maintain his shape in anticipation of an opportunity.
“I’m staying ready on all fronts,” Faber recently told MMA Junkie. “I’m actually going out to compete on Thursday in the open national tournament for wrestling. I just decided to do that yesterday. I’m going to enter my name into the hat, maybe try to win a national title. I’ve been offered some good combat jiu-jitsu opportunities I’ll probably end up taking.”
While title runs might not be on the forefront of his brain, fights that get his competitive juices flowing are. Cub Swanson checks that box. It’s a fight Swanson (28-12 MMA, 18-11 UFC) actually pitched and made part of the public conversation. Only one key party has yet to show its interest: the UFC.
“That one fight out there with Cub has been talked about,” Faber said. “I haven’t heard anything from the UFC, but that’s an opportunity still. That’s more about me hitting a switch and deciding to go in that direction. I’m not staying too out of shape at all times. That’s the key there. I’ve stuck to that.”
Faber and Swanson are two originals. They go back to the WEC days and consider each other friends. There’s no animosity in the angling for a fist fight. It’s actually about having respect more than anything else, for Faber.
“To be honest, I have a hard time turning down a good time,” Faber said. “There have been 11 or 12 guys who have called me out over the last couple of years. Cub is actually a friend of mine. I would consider him somebody that it would be an honor to fight. It would make sense the way that he would put it. He was talking about coming down to 135 (pounds) for the first time. I like that part of it. Right now, that’s the one that really stands out. I don’t really have to fight, obviously. But I’m not opposed to it, and that sounds like a good time.”
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