Faber, a former Division I college wrestler and current WEC (World Extreme Cagefighting) Featherweight Champion, trains with a fierceness few can match. In 21 fights, he's lost only once, to Tyson Griffin in 2005. Since that time he has won 12 in row, all by TKO or submission. On June 1 he will make arguably his toughest defense when he faces off with former UFC lightweight champion Jens 'Lil Evil' Pulver at the ARCO Area in Sacramento. We spoke with Faber a few weeks ago as he prepared for what could very well be the fight of the year.
SNAPSHOT
Birthdate: May 14, 1979
Birthplace: Isla Vista, California
Current Residence: Sacramento, CA
Height: 5'6"
Weight: 145
Accomplishments: WEC Featherweight Champion
On the Web: www.urijahfaber.com
M&F: What do expect from Jens in this fight?
Urijah Faber: He's a veteran of the sport and I'm expecting a war. He's got some deadly hands and he's also a wrestler. I expect him to be well prepared. This should be a hard battle.
M&F: Do you consider this one of your toughest fights to date?
UF: It's definitely one of my toughest challenges. He's a former UFC champ.
M&F: Have you felt the need to change how you train for this fight?
UF: Not really. I have some idea of where I want the fight to go. More than anything I've been working on getting an eye for sparring with left-handers, but other than that, everything stays the same.
M&F: How long do you train for a fight?
UF: I'm training all the time. It's just my lifestyle. It obviously gets more intense or less intense the closer or farther out I am from a fight, but I'm always training in mixed martial arts.
