Urijah Faber to Stick Around After Win in Comeback Fight: ‘I Want to Make the Most of My Time’

Urijah Faber apparently has found the fountain of youth because on Saturday night in the co-feature of UFC Fight Night 155, “The California Kid” looked like he was 25.

Faber (35-10) shockingly obliterated highly-touted Ricky Simon in just 46 seconds, igniting a fervent frenzy in front of his hometown fans in Sacramento. A loopy overhand right dropped Simon (15-2) and then Faber continued to unload an assortment of punches until referee Mike Beltran pulled him off. The triumph ended Simon’s eight-fight winning streak and it immediately catapulted Faber right back into the spotlight.

Faber had struggled for a few years inside the Octagon, winning just once in four tries before finally toppling Brad Pickett via decision and hanging up his fingerless gloves. He was eventually enshrined in the UFC’s Hall of Fame, but three years after retiring, Faber got the itch to fight again. His return was nothing short of remarkable.

“It feels amazing,” Faber said of his conquest of Simon. “Props to Ricky Simon. That guy is going to be a terror in this weight division. He has the right mentality, but is not there yet. It takes time and experience.”

Faber’s win sent the MMA world into chaos because not a ton of so-called experts thought he’d win. Faber is 40, seemed long in the tooth during his final years of fighting before retiring and Simon was beating the snot out of everybody. But the Team Alpha Male leader credited his team for his performance.

“I’m lucky enough to have the best team in the world, so I can gauge myself against guys like Song Yadong and Cody Garbrandt,” he said. “So I know where I stand. I’m not a delusional guy. I purely retired because I wanted to. I wanted to take a break and maybe retire. Having a baby and getting that part of my life established was a major win for me. It was a breath of fresh air, but I wanted to get back at it.”

Faber is well aware of what current UFC flyweight and bantamweight king Henry Cejudo said after he conquered Marlon Moraes last month to win the vacant 135-pound crown. “The Messenger” called out Dominick Cruz, Garbrandt and Faber, stating that he only wants big fights for a lot of money.

Either Cejudo’s statement didn’t sit well with Faber, or it excited him -- or both.

“I heard Henry Cejudo challenged me to a fight,” he stated. “Henry, I remember 10 years ago when you challenged me as a friendly gesture. I’m down to get in there and mix it up. I do this to test myself against the best in the world. I want to take fights that make sense. I took this fight because if I didn’t beat him, I’d know I don’t need to go for super fights. You then saw what happened.”

Faber didn’t mince his words. The popular Hall of Famer is ready to get back in the Octagon and mix it up with someone, whether it’s Cejudo or someone else.

“I want to hop right back in because I don’t have a lot of time in this game,” he said. “I want to make the most of my time and then get out when I feel like it.”