At UFC Fight Night Sacramento, Urijah Faber is back and with his return, one grudge match suddenly appears possible again.
'The California Kid's comeback bout takes place on July 13th, fighting at home against Ricky Simon. That matchup is obviously Faber's current focus, but even though T.J. Dillashaw is suspended until January 2021, Faber isn't ready to dismiss a potential fight with his ex-teammate. ”I mean, I’ll have to see how I feel," he explained on ESPN's 'Ariel Helwani's MMA Show.'
"At where I feel right now, I feel pretty incredible. Who knows how I’ll feel at that time. I’ve always been kind of a late developer and someone who’s always had good health so it’s all going to be about timing and me. So if he comes back it will be, I guess, a year and a half, that’s not that long. We will have to see how that pans out.”
Faber and Dillashaw had a publicized falling out, with the latter's Team Alpha Male exit causing immense tension between him and his former teammates. After seeing Dillashaw's USADA violation though, Faber cites his own contrasting approach as a reason for his sustained success. ”The guys that don’t cheat, the guys that don’t do EPO, and HGH, and micro dosing, testosterone or whatever the hell the kids are doing these days, have a better longevity.
"Joints, just body intact. You’re operating as your body is supposed to. So for me, I think that’s part of the reasons why I have been in the top my entire career, the top echelon. The top ten, the top two, the top three, the top one, my entire career. So, I feel good. We will have to see at that point. When you think about big fights for me in the weight class, Kron (Gracie) was exciting because there’s a lot of hype around him right now and the history of his family. But, there’s no history like the T.J. Dillashaw history that’s for sure.”
It's hard to argue with that point but either way, Faber's comeback needs to start well first, ideally with a win over Ricky Simon at UFC Sacramento.
For Helwani's full interview with Faber, click here.
