Urijah Faber Record: 35-11-0

Title wars at featherweight and bantamweight

Faber's reign ended when Mike Brown stopped him in 2008, and Brown edged a memorable rematch in 2009 in which an injured Faber threw elbows with both forearms. He rebuilt, submitting Raphael Assunção, before a 2010 loss to featherweight phenom José Aldo. Dropping to bantamweight, Faber became a perennial title challenger as the WEC merged into the UFC: he beat Eddie Wineland but came up short in a rematch with the rival Cruz in 2011, then guillotined Brian Bowles before falling to champion Renan Barão in 2012 and again in 2014.

The veteran run and Hall of Fame legacy

Even without recapturing UFC gold, Faber remained an elite contender, stringing together submission wins over Ivan Menjivar, Scott Jorgensen, Michael McDonald and Alex Caceres. He dropped close decisions to Frankie Edgar and a third meeting with Cruz before retiring, then returned in 2019 for a highlight knockout of Ricky Simón at age 40. A head-kick loss to rising star Petr Yan later that year effectively closed his UFC chapter, leaving behind a résumé that had already earned him a 2017 Hall of Fame induction.

Fighting style

Faber was the prototype of the wrestler-grappler who could finish, with 17 submissions and 10 knockouts among his 35 wins and a finish rate near 77%. His NCAA-caliber wrestling let him dictate position, while his guillotine choke became one of the most feared weapons in the lower weight classes. He paired explosive scrambles with a tough chin and championship-level cardio, and his durability is reflected in his record: he was never submitted, with all 11 losses coming by decision or knockout. The knock on his later years was a ceiling against the very best – Aldo, Cruz and Barão each got the better of him – but his peak made him a foundational star of the sport.

Career highlights

• WEC featherweight champion — reigned as the promotion's defining star and the face of the lighter weight classes, defending the belt multiple times.
• UFC Hall of Fame — inducted in 2017 in recognition of a career that helped legitimize and popularize the featherweight and bantamweight divisions.
• Never submitted — across 46 pro bouts in the record, all of his losses came by decision or strikes, a testament to his grappling and toughness.