Urijah Faber vs. Vaughn Lee Set For UFC 156

[No More Sorrow]

The California Kid is reportedly set to return to action against English grappler Vaughan Lee.

Another fight has reportedly been added to the UFC's Super Bowl weekend show, and it marks the return of The California Kid. Former WEC featherweight champion and current top bantamweight Urijah Faber is set to take on Vaughan Lee according to Brazilian magazine Tatame.


Faber (26-6 MMA, 2-2 UFC) has competed at 135 lbs following Jose Aldo's destruction of him at "Aldo vs. Faber" for "The Featherweight Championship" back in April 2010. He started off well by submitting Takeya Mizugaki and getting a decision win over Eddie Wineland in his UFC debut. Faber was unable to defeat champion Dominick Cruz at UFC 132. He was supposed to get another crack at the belt (and his 3rd fight with Cruz overall), and he and Cruz were tabbed as coaches for the lone live season of The Ultimate Fighter. When Cruz bowed out with a torn ACL, Faber fought Renan Barao at UFC 149 for the interim title, which Barao took by unanimous decision. It's been over four years since Faber called himself a champion, going 0-5 in his last 5 title fights.


Lee (12-8-1, 1-2 UFC) has fought at bantamweight his entire career and entered the UFC unbeaten in his previous 5 fights. He lost a split decision to Chris Cariaso, but in Japan he pulled off the unique feat of submitting Kid Yamamoto at UFC 144. The success was short-lived as T.J. Dillashaw, a teammate of Faber's, dominated Lee in 2.5 minutes and forced him to tap with a neck crank. It marks the 5th time in 8 losses he's been submitted.
This is a mismatch and that's putting it kindly. Faber is still a high-level fighter and the odds of Lee being competitive with him are remote. It's a gigantic step up in competition for Lee and if he were to win this it'd already be marked as one of the biggest upsets of 2013.


No word on whether this will be on the PPV main card, but Faber is normally popular enough to merit that status so I'd say it will be.

This fight is sort of random, doesn't make a whole lot of sense. Lee recently lost too Dillashaw, now he's fighting Faber?

 

[Slim]

Looks like a way to regather interest in Faber... and what better way to do that than with a win.

 

[The Cork]

Man, fuck Vaughan Lee.

Guy left my gym after he beat Yamamoto because he's "too big time" now :

Hope Faber fucks him up then gets the shot at Rousey.

 

[Deezy]

Brooklyn Brawler for Faber.

 

[Embrace Thou Maryse]

Damn Faber has a fight lined up which means if he wins this one fight he'll get another Championship match seeing as he's gifted more title shots than Randy Couture.

 

[Slim]

Ken Flo may have him beat

 

[No More Sorrow]

If Aldo moves up to 155 after the Edgar fight like he's saying he plans too, I'd imagine that Faber jumps up to 145 and fights for that championship. Would have some pretty interesting fights, Korean Zombie, Clay Guida, Frankie Edgar.

 

[Slim]

Guida would spend more time runnin and hoppin than fightin.

 

[Deezy]

Guida wouldn't run, only after 3 rounds to make it look like he won.

He would lay and pray......C'mon Slim.

 

[No More Sorrow]

Apparently this news was incorrect, Urijah Faber vs. Ivan Menjavar II is set for UFC 157.