Urijah Faber wants trilogy bout with Dominick Cruz after UFC Fight Night 81: “This has been a long time coming”

By Jamie Penick, MMATorch Editor-in-Chief

“He’s a real champion. He’s a true champion. He’s only lost to one team, that’s Team Alpha Male. He’s only lost to one guy: That’s me. And I feel like I beat him the second time also. I connected to his chin, I know he feels like he’s hard to hit. I found his chin, his butt found the ground, and I’m going to make that happen again. So let’s do it, Dom, this has been a long time coming. I’ve been sticking around a couple extra years just to let you heal up buddy. You’re not made for battle. Thank goodness you made it out this thing, hopefully alive. Hopefully, the foot’s OK. Let’s do this. Old news, new news. Let’s get it done.”

-Urijah Faber calls for a rubber match with Dominick Cruz after Cruz regained the UFC Bantamweight Championship at UFC Fight Night 81 (via MMAJunkie.com).

Penick’s Analysis: It’s either Cruz-Faber III or Cruz-Dillashaw II next, and that’s provided Cruz isn’t out another year and a half. With him describing his foot as being “shredded in half,” that’s not going to be comforting news for the UFC. It’s still insane that he could be as elusive and effective as he was Sunday against an extremely talented and dangerous man in T.J. Dillashaw, and though there’s absolutely an argument against him in that fight, so much of it was so very close that it’s nigh impossible to come to a consensus on it. For that reason the rematch makes a ton of sense, but it depends on what the UFC wants to do. I’m not sure at all what’s next for Dillashaw after that if he doesn’t get the rematch, and I’m not convinced the UFC is entirely keen on giving Faber another title fight. Hopefully Cruz isn’t out any significant length of time and we’ll be able to find out soon enough.

[Urijah Faber art by Grant Gould (c) MMATorch.com]

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