EXCLUSIVE
I’m a UFC legend who fought Dominick Cruz three times and got KO’d by Petr Yan – but my toughest opponent was ‘Scarface’
UFC legend Urijah Faber has named Jose Aldo as the toughest and hardest-hitting opponent he ever faced.
‘The California Kid’ was one of the fighters who convinced Dana White to introduce the featherweight and bantamweight divisions to his promotion in 2010.
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Faber never became a champion in MMA’s premier league despite earning four title shots, but he still did enough to earn a spot in the Hall of Fame.
The 45-year-old shared the Octagon twice with bantamweight champion Renan Barao, who caught him at the end of his epic 46-fight career.
Faber also fought Dominick Cruz, who is widely regarded as the greatest 135lb fighter of all time, three times. He won their first meeting by submission but lost the rematch and trilogy fight.
Frankie Edgar, Jens Pulver, Takeya Mizugaki and Brad Pickett are just some of the other names on Faber’s glittering record, but he insists Aldo is better than them all.
READ MORE ON URIJAH FABER
In April 2010, they headlined a WEC [World Extreme Cagefighting] show, which was the promotion’s first and only pay-per-view event before they merged with the UFC a few months later.
Aldo delivered a 25-minute masterclass in leg kicks as he defended his featherweight belt with a unanimous decision win in a fight Faber was praised for surviving.
Post-fight, he shared a now-famous picture of the horrific damage caused by Aldo hitting him with 31 devastating kicks.
After 14 years and 19 more fights, he still has vivid memories of his bad night at the office against ‘Scarface’
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"I’d say, Jose Aldo,” Faber told when asked to name his toughest and hardest-hitting opponents.
“When we fought, I was in my prime, and he was in his. He was equally as fast and strong as I was and had the right recipe to pick me apart with his leg kicks.
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“It was painful, and he definitely outclassed me there. He kicked hard, hit hard, and picked me apart.”
Faber hasn’t fought since suffering a knockout loss to Peter Yan in 2019.
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Although he continues to train and remains in the UFC drug testing pool, a return to MMA competition is very unlikely as he’s focused on being a father and coach - he's also spearheading Combat U, which is the first university-backed .
Aldo recently returned from a brief retirement to fight at UFC 301.
The 37-year-old picked up a dominant decision win over bantamweight contender Jonathan Martinez and wowed his old rival in the process.
Faber added: "I was very impressed, he looked amazing."
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“Aldo’s had an unbelievable career, and we’ve always had good vibes between us. He’s a warrior and a legend in this business.
“It takes some time to acclimate to the weight cut and fatigue was a bit of an issue for him. But as he’s gotten older, I think he’s now more comfortable at that weight.
“He looked dynamic and better than ever.”
Aldo’s future is currently up in the air as his UFC contract has expired.
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‘The King of Rio’ is currently in talks about a new deal, but he’s also been dabbling with boxing and could choose to continue his career in the ring.
Whoever he fights next, Faber is just glad it’s not him who has to face Aldo.
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