If Urijah Faber had his way, he’d be in the main event Saturday night against an opponent with a similarly huge following, with a title – or at least a No. 1 contender tag – on the line.
There’s just one problem: that person does not exist.
Faber is one of the UFC’s most recognizable fighters, the man who has carried the torch for the lighter weight classes for years. The former WEC featherweight champion is the biggest draw among anyone 145 pounds or lighter.
The guy he’ll be standing across from on the first UFC FOX Sports 1 card in Boston – Yuri Alcantara – is someone very few have heard of.
“I wish more people knew who he was,” Faber told The Post last week.
Alcantara’s anonymity isn’t even the biggest problem. No one knows him and he’s very, very dangerous. The 33-year-old Brazilian is 4-1-1 under the Zuffa banner with a win over top featherweight contender Ricardo Lamas on his resume. This fight will be in the bantamweight division, where the rangy Alcantara has looked better than ever.
On paper, this bout is a lose-lose for Faber. He doesn’t necessarily up his stock if he wins. And if he loses, his name will make for a nice credit on Alcantara’s docket. But “The California Kid” had no qualms about signing up when the UFC asked.
“I’ve never been a guy to pick my fights,” Faber said. “I’ve never said no to a fight.”
Faber, 34, thinks a win here “should” put him in line for a title shot against either interim champion Renan Barao or champion Dominick Cruz when he returns from injury. Faber has lost to both men and he’s winless in his last five title fights, though he did beat Cruz before Cruz won the belt.
In non-title fights? Well, Faber doesn’t lose. He’s won seven in a row and defeated most of the top contenders in the UFC’s bantamweight division, including Eddie Wineland, who is getting the next shot at Barao next month at UFC 165.
Alcantara is experienced – he’s 28-4 with 24 finishes – but he’s not even in the top 10 in the division’s UFC’s media rankings. Faber is ranked No. 2 and he’s been the most popular guy in the weight class and at 145 pounds since he won the WEC title in 2006.
Eventually, his time will be up, but Faber hasn’t lost much as a submission win over Scott Jorgensen in April proved. He’s as strong and as quick as ever.
As big of a draw, too. That won’t figure to end even if Alcantara, with a fraction of his fan base, beats him.
“I’ve been put in this situaton time and time again,” Faber said. “The good thing about them making their name off my name, it doesn’t diminish my name. I’m like Billy the Kid.”