Anyone have any Idea why Urijah Faber is still fighting in the WEC?

Question

He fights Jens Pulver on June 1st and after (or if) he wins that fight you have to think Dana White ( UFC Pres.) would want to see him start his run through the UFC ranks. Although I believe he would have to fight at a higher weight there. (See Jens Pulver)

Am I missing something?

Answer 1

Because he is too small. It would take alot out of him to gain all that weight and fight in  the lightweight division aginst fighters who are more comfortable at that weight. And don't harlod Faber yet. He has to beat Pulver before he can call himself legit. Jeff Curan is the only other fighter who legitamatly deserved a shot and was very close to taking the belt from Faber.

Answer 2

I don't think he will get moved to the UFC because he is the main draw for WEC since both are owned by the same company it would stupid to cause a drop in WEC ratings to hype the already extremely popular UFC.  Just bad business sense.

Answer 3

Several reasons...Even though UFC's lightweights are around 150-155, the actual weight class for UFC lightweight is 146-155...so technically he could fight at the weight hes at now with only gaining a few pounds...that does have its disadvantages for a guy like him though...even though hes better now than early on his one loss came to tyson griffin who is bigger than him...with that said...the WEC is an affiliation of UFC and really there to promote the weight classes the UFC doesnt...thats why their featherweight and bantamweight classes are stocked...Faber is going to beast him(i hope)

Answer 4

Although I would love to see Faber in the UFC, I don't think he would be as successful. Its not because the Lightweight fighters in the UFC are better than him, but I think him having to gain weight would effect his fighting. I would rather see him join the DREAM promotion because all the best lighter fighters in the world are based out of Japan. Seriously, if you look at the top 10 best lightweights in the world, the top 5 or so are from Japan. Personally, I think Faber is pound for pound one of the top 5 fighters in the world. The fight I really want to see is Urijah Faber vs. Takanori Gomi.

Answer 5

There is no 145lb weight class for Faber to fight in. WEC is owned by the UFC so it really doesn't matter to Dana considering they get to have Faber technically fighting for them and paying them less since it's the WEC and not the UFC.

Faber probably walks at 160ish and cuts to 145 still too small to be fighting at lightweight. He'd be an average 155lb fighter, imo. He's an amazing 145lb though.

Answer 6

Urijah is a small guy, so like you said he would have to pack on some weight. I think this would make him slower and it might be a little tougher for him to dominate. I'm not implying that he couldnt hack it in a heavier weight class, but why would he want to. He's doing pretty d**n well in the WEC so if you have the choice of being the face of your division or trying to start at a new level, wouldn't you want to just stay on top. He is a guy who seems to like to challenge himself so I don't think its a lack of confidence.

Also, I'm not sure, but I wonder if there is some contractual issues with that. I know WEC is UFC's little sister, but I wonder if they would allow him to do that even when he has the WEC title.

Answer 7

Faber is not nearly big enough to fight at 155 in the UFC, most of those guys actually weight well over 170, lots of them were pretty comfortable at 170 before there was a 155, h**l Sean Sherk probably walks around at 180. No knock on Faber, he is a great fighter but being outwieghed by 20-25lbs when your only 150 is to much.

When the ufc decides that there are enough marketable guys they will start featherweight division and take faber and most of the WEC guys since the UFC owns the WEC.

Faber doesnt really have a reason to move up Im sure he's being very well paid as the most talked about fighter in the WEC.

I would think that within the year Dana White will get a featherwieght division going.

Answer 8

not likely the UFC owns WEc dana white doe snot control the WEC nor its fighters and joe silva is the match maker for UFC not dana white he is the president of the company nd on screen personalty faber only cuts a few pounds to fight at 145 he might could fight soem of the ligth weight but someone like sher who walks around at 175 to 180 would out muscle him easyand he is at the top of the 145lbs class with no feather weigth division in UFC WEC is the top why leave?