Will Urijah Faber be in the UFC Hall of Fame?
Posted on July 15, 2012, 08:22 PM by Mike DrahotaUrijah Faber has done a lot for the sport of MMA in terms of drawing in fans and popularity. With the serious knee injury to UFC Bantamweight titleholder Dominick Cruz, Faber finds himself again fighting for UFC gold. Faber will face Brazilian sensation Renan Barao for the Interim Bantamweight title in the headliner of UFC 149 from Calgary, Alberta, Canada this Saturday. While much of Faber's fame and glory was accomplished during his title run in the WEC as Featherweight champ, the WEC is part of Zuffa. Faber will go a long way towards defining his legacy in the UFC with a victory over Barao. Let's take a look at the reasons Faber will make his way towards the UFC Hall of Fame one day.
It is no secret that Dana White and the UFC brass love fighters who bring it each time out to the cage, and Faber fits this mold. Evident by his most recent loss to Dominick Cruz in a 2011 title fight, Faber prefers to throw power shots and look for submissions rather than win on points. Though he lost that bout, he gained a lot of fans that night when he appeared to do more damage and go for broke more often than the always-cautious Cruz. Faber also gained a ton of respect when he absorbed the most vicious leg kicks that Jose Aldo had to offer. But Faber, while gracious in defeat, is most well-known for his aggressive, wrestling-oriented style that allowed him to hold on to the WEC Featherweight title for over two years. His wins over Bibiano Fenandes, Dominick Cruz, and Jens Pulver will forever be remembered in MMA lore.
Faber is also popular. Always willing to cater to fans, he posts often on Twitter and has been a coach on The Ultimate Fighter. He is one of few fighters to appear in mainstream television commercials. If not for Faber, perhaps the lighter weight fighters of MMA would not enjoy the rise to prominence some have seen in the last few years, with the UFC adding Flyweight, Bantamweight, and Featherweight divisions recently.
Faber sits at 2-1 in his UFC career, and some would argue that he has a lot left to prove to find himself in the UFC Hall of Fame. He does have one Fight of the Night bonus and one Submisson of the Night bonus in that short time. If he can beat Renan Barao, a man who has not lost in a remarkable 29 fights, he will cement his legacy as the godfather of the smaller-weight MMA fighters. With the absorption of the WEC, Faber has become an ambassador of sorts who always promises a top-level fight when he signs on the dotted line. Faber is well on his way to becoming a legend, does he deserve a spot in the UFC Hall of Fame already or is there a lot left to prove?
Further Reading: UFC 149: Faber vs. Barao In-depth Preview Video
Comments
A little early to be writing an article about Faber being in the hall of fame. He has a lot to prove before that. Perhaps in the future, but right now? no way
The WEC = the UFC. Urijah Faber might be the best WEC fighter there was.
Urijah and Aldo are the only locks for the UFC HOF at the moment from the WEC.
I'm with you mmafan15 but if he were to retire today they would get around to putting him in. He has done enough in his division and people love this kid.
I also agree with you on why are we even talking about this now?
Who cares just let the guy do his job and kick some ass.
This would open the door for a MMA hall of fame, since Fabe hasnt done anything in the UFC, and made his name outside of it. It would make me more mad that Frank Shamrock is not in, with Dana recently saying what has he done for the new UFC. If you going to take Fabers past for his HOF credentials then there are shit ton of guys that should get in as well.
David - Half the guys already in the UFC HOF are in based off pre Zuffa credentials: Dan Severn, Royce Gracie, Ken Shamrock.
Dana uses that line as an excuse to keep Frank out, plain and simple.
Wow, I didn't realize Frank Shamrock's weight class wasn't included in the UFC when he was in his prime. Oh wait, it was? Then Faber's situation is completely different, as he was fighting the best in the world at his weight class in a Zuffa owned organization. Frank chose not to fight in the UFC, big difference there buddy.
cruz can definitely be considered for the HOF in the future especially if he beats winner of barao/faber. its a shame a lot of fans overlook him because he doesnt finish but the dude has beaten the very best at 135 over and over again. hes only 26! skies the limit
It's a shame the guy can't finish fights, guess he's too busy hopping around the octagon. The Decisionator is garbage. They need to make damage done a judging criteria, then he'd never beat a top ranked fighter.
Oh, and Faber would be the defending champ right now.
I feel Like he needs a UFC Championship Belt before you can write an article about this, although i didnt even read it haha
MMA hall of fame yes, UFC hall of fame (3 fights and TUF coach) no or not yet anyway.
WTF are people weaking this? The UFC HOF is supposed to honor guys who did great things in the UFC, not in affiliated promotions or in MMA in general. For Faber to be in the UFC HOF he's going to have to win the title and then hold on to it for a while. Failing that, he simply doesn't belong. Does he belong in an MMA hall of fame? Yes, but that's not what the UFC HOF is anyway.
The WEC is the UFC. It was owned and operated by Zuffa for years before Urijah was moved over. As Urijah was the best fighter under 155lbs for a long time he was probably the best fighter in WEC history.
There is no question about it, Urijah Faber belongs in the UFC HOF.
News flash noobs, the UFC didn't even have the lighter weight classes when he was ruling the division. Back then WEC was the cream of the crop for the small guys; the only place Zuffa employed them. Faber's popularity was key for the little guys getting noticed and getting the UFC brand. I would have any problem if they inducted him right after the UFC 149 prelims. Anyone that stamped weak on Evan Holober's comment is ignorant, stupid, or both.
@ Evan Holober: Lol. By that definition, since being in a promotion that is owned by Zuffa makes you qualified to be in the UFC HOF, are we to therefore conclude that guys who do great in Strikeforce since the purchase by Zuffa should also be eligible for the UFC HOF?
So let's say Luke Rockhold spends the bulk of his career in Strikeforce as champion and hardly ever fights in the UFC proper, should he still be considered eligible for the UFC HOF?
Not necessarily.
Urijah was in an organization heavily promoted by the UFC, and competed in a weight class that was not offered by the UFC. He was the face of WEC's push to legitimacy, and was a PFP stalwart while also being the #1 fighter at 145 lbs for years.
None of that describes Luke Rockhold.
@ godsofwararise: No dippy, where did the best featherweights fight before they were brought under the UFC brand? The answer is the WEC, the only place Zuffa had featherweights. Can you really not see the difference between guys that chose not, or weren't good enough, to fight the best and guys who's weight class wasn't in the UFC? Your comparison of Luke Rockhold and Urijah Faber screams of ignorance. I could pallet the above Frank Shamrock debate, but you're a fool. Get back to your WOW and stay away from MMA boards.
LOL
If the pre-Zuffa UFC is not taken into consideration, what makes you think WEC is??
Frank Shamrock was not taken into consideration. Dana White just made a hypocritical excuse when he made that statement about the pre zuffa. Coleman, Grace, Dan Severn, and Ken Shamrock are all pre zuffa.
Dana just hates Frank, simple.
Hunter pointed everything out perfectly. If pre Zuffa UFC wasn't taken into account then half the HOF wouldn't be there.
Too soon but well written.
dont matter what we say... its all according to Dana's "New UFC"...
Not sure why this article was written as of right now. Nothing against Faber, it just doesn't make sense. But ask Frank Shamrock about how to get into the UFC HOF and that's probably your answer
Faber was the face of the smaller weight classes for several years when the UFC didn't have them. Now that they are in the UFC, they produce some of the most exciting fights. Faber certainly deserves some of the credit for that.
I don't know about the Hall of Fame though. Certainly he can get there. I'm sure he will fight for at least another 5 years. In my opinion, beating Cruz in the rubber match and winning a UFC title would lock it up for him. Beating Barao, would be huge, but it's an INTERIM title. It's not the same.
There is no question about it, he belongs in.
Being a "face" of an organisation or a "poster boy" should not be enough to put you in the HOF.
It's not like he was their Ronald MacDonald. He dominated the division against the best in the world, and put it on everyone's radar.
if Anderson Silva, GSP & Bj Penn aint in the UFC HOF yet, why would we even consider Faber?
They are all locks. They are not in yet because they are still competing.
It's not if Faber belongs in now. It's if he belongs in were he to retire today.
I still think its a premature statement. Yes he's been the WEC champ for awhile and NO he hasn't won the UFC title. It would be a disgrace to Aldo and Cruse who both beat Faber + hold/has held the UFC title for awhile now to even consider Faber's HOF status. By the time Faber retires, WEC will be long forgotten. People will question why is Faber thee only fighter in the "UFC" HOF that never had a UFC belt.
That all describes a situation where first off Aldo isn't a lock for the UFC HOF already (which he is), and Cruz isn't being considered for it (which he will soon enough).
They're just younger than him so will most likely still be competing when he retires.
He wrote a Book . Doesn't that make sense to be in a HOF?
The difference between the strikeforce takeover and the Wec takeover was that the UFC didn't have those divisions so faber was the best at 145 in the world and Luke rockhold is not the best 185er in the world
"Buttchin" Hall Of Fame 2012!