The California Kid
Urijah Faber
Career overview
Urijah Faber, known as "The California Kid," carries a 35-11 professional record as an Orthodox stance bantamweight standing 5'6" with a 67-inch reach. Over his career, Faber has averaged 2.65 strikes landed per minute with 40% accuracy while absorbing 2.59 strikes per minute and maintaining 64% strike defense, establishing himself as a measured striker rather than a volume puncher.
His grappling credentials are evident through 1.54 takedowns per 15 minutes at 30% accuracy and a 0.8 submission average per 15 minutes, making him a legitimate submission threat—a skill set he demonstrated early in his career with first-round finishes against Dominick Cruz (March 2007) and Takeya Mizugaki (November 2010). However, Faber's recent years have proven more difficult, evidenced by consecutive decision losses to Frankie Edgar (May 2015) and Jimmie Rivera (September 2016), suggesting his competitive window at elite levels has narrowed considerably.
His 58% takedown defense indicates vulnerability to wrestling-heavy opponents, a factor that likely contributed to his recent struggles against top-ranked competition in a division that has evolved significantly during his lengthy career.