Urijah Faber is back on his way to another title shot.
Coming into tonight’s bout at UFC 139 with former champion Brian Bowles, “The Califonia Kid” bore the weight of criticism for his recent string of title fights. Faber had dropped two consecutive fights at 145 lb to Mike Brown, before his cut to Bantamweight and a loss to Dominic Cruz in July.
Tonight at UFC 139, Faber proved he is the true number one contender in the division with an outstanding performance and a win over Bowles. From the opening bell Faber was on the attack as he used his striking and constant pressure to keep Bowles on his heels. The first round was all Faber and heading into the second, Bowles seemed confused.
As the second round got under way, Faber picked up right where he left off, as he continued to back Bowles across the cage. The pursuit paid off as Faber landed a huge uppercut that put his opponent on his back, and with blood in the water, Faber swarmed in for the finish. The former WEC Featherweight champion locked in a guillotine choke and finished the fight early in the second round.
With the victory Faber now earns a third fight with current champion Dominic Cruz. In his post fight interview with Joe Rogan, Faber let the champion know he was coming for him as he said, “Dominic you can run but you can’t hide.”
Tonight’s performance is perhaps the best Faber has looked since dropping to 135 pounds, and his win over Bowles should leave zero questions as to whether he deserves another title shot.