At one point or another in every fighter’s career, they are paired up against a lesser known opponent where they have much more to lose than to gain. In the case of UFC bantamweight contender Urijah Faber (28-6 MMA, 4-2 UFC), that’s the exact situation he finds himself in against unheralded Brazilian Yuri Alcantara (28-4 MMA, 3-1 UFC) at UFC Fight Night 26, which goes down Aug. 17 at Boston’s TD Garden. Currently ranked among the top 135-pound fighters in the world, Faber is on the cusp of a title shot after back-to-back submissions of Ivan Menjivar and Scott Jorgensen in February and April of this year. With an impressive resume under his belt, one would think “The California Kid” had intentions of facing the highest profile opponents possible in order to move up the ladder. Instead, Faber took a fight against someone looking to take what he’s got and doesn’t offer much in return. People may wonder why Faber would accept a matchup against an opponent ranked outside the top-10 and with only one career victory in the weight class, but that’s not a thought that crosses his mind. “His record, first off, is better than mine,” Faber said of Alcantara on MMAjunkie.com Radio (www.mmajunkie.com/radio)
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Urijah Faber: Despite unknown status, Yuri Alcantara ‘deserves to fight me’ – MMA Junkie