After 13 years of active competition, Urijah Faber is ready to call it quits and hang up his gloves for good. Per an announcement he made in October, “The California Kid” will be retiring after his December 17th fight against Brad Pickett in his hometown of Sacramento.
“It just feels like the right time and the right place. I’ve been waiting for this new arena to be built, I was waiting for that Dominick Cruz opportunity, and I feel like this is going to be an epic event and I can’t wait to do it in front of the people I love,” Faber said.
Holding his last fight in front of his home crowd would indeed be the perfect ending for Faber. It is something that his former teammate TJ Dillashaw agrees with.
“I do believe it’s time for him to retire,” Dillashaw said during Monday’s edition of The MMA Hour. “He’s actually, I feel like, declined in his skills rather than getting better, and you need people around you telling you, ‘alright man, it’s time. You’ve done a good job, it’s time for you to hang it up. You’ve got some fighters coming into the gym, that are some new guys, who are kind of beating up on you. It’s time to call it quits.’”
“So hopefully he comes out and looks good and he does it in Sacramento. He always is amped up when he fights there. He’s, by far, a town favorite. He’s a fan favorite. So hopefully he can make a good showing.”
Dillashaw and Faber have had their differences, which had led to the former parting ways with Team Alpha Male. But despite what went on, the former bantamweight champion only has well wishes for his former mentor.
“That’s so crazy and it’s such high school drama,” Dillashaw said. “But what it comes down to, when it’s all done and said, we do have a past, we do have a history, and with him retiring, he’s done wonders for this sport as well. You hope he goes out on a good note.
“Even though the guy has really pissed me off, and I’ve had, and still do, a lot of unpleasant hate for the guy, for the way he acted, (when it’s) all done and said, I don’t wish anything bad on the guy.”
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