‘Nobody asked for this’… Fans torn on Urijah Faber’s MMA comeback after trilogy fight announced
UFC Hall of Famer Urijah Faber’s reported MMA return didn’t get a universally positive reception.
It’s been almost five full years since Urijah Faber lost to former titleholder Petr Yan at UFC 245. But after appearing content in retirement following a brief comeback stint, Faber will reportedly return to the cage against a familiar foe.
As first reported by MMA Mania‘s Alex Behunin, Faber will face former UFC bantamweight champion Renan Barão at a to-be-announced Global Fight League card later this year. The booking comes just weeks after Faber was released from his UFC contract, the first sign of a potential return to combat sports.
Faber and Barão fought twice in their UFC careers with Barão getting the nod in both outings. After their first fight resulted in a unanimous decision, Barão knocked out Faber at UFC 169 in his first lineal bantamweight title defense.
Trilogies aren’t a common occurrence, especially in modern MMA. But after the Faber vs. Barão announcement, the two veterans’ comeback wasn’t universally praised.
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Photo by Josh Hedges/Zuffa LLC/Zuffa LLC via Getty ImagesFans react to Urijah Faber’s reported comeback against two-time UFC foeIt didn’t take long for fight fans to weigh in on Faber’s first MMA booking since 2019.
“Nobody asked for this,” one fight fan responded on X.
“I have zero faith that the GFL actually exists,” another wrote.
“Why?!”
“Pretty cool.”
“I feel like I’m being punked.”
“Ah what we all wanted to see…….more than a decade ago.”
“Aren’t they both pushing 50 holy s—.”
“Fight of the year?”
“Because the 1st two times went so well.”
“WTF is this the grandpa fighting league??”
News of Faber’s MMA return coincidentally comes after his three-time rival, Dominick Cruz, announced his retirement from fighting. As of this writing, it’s uncertain if Faber’s upcoming fight will be a one-off, or if his GFL contract is part of a multi-bout deal.
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Urijah Faber’s reported return surfaces as star pupil prepares for UFC Seattle main eventFaber’s longtime understudy, Song Yadong, will return at UFC Seattle this Saturday against Henry Cejudo in the card’s main event. Faber is expected to be in Yadong’s corner for the fight.
After announcing his retirement following a win over Brad Pickett in 2016, Faber returned to the Octagon in 2019, defeating Ricky Simón by first-round knockout. He appeared on the cusp of another potential title shot before the loss to Yan.
The full GFL event slate is in the works, as of this writing, and is expected to be finalized in the coming weeks. The promotion is in its infancy and is announcing fights shortly after its first-ever draft.
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