Urijah Faber, Francisco Rivera Bantamweight Tilt Has Explosive Potential For UFC 181

By Rick LaFitte @RickLaFitte on October 15, 2014

Octagon veteran Urijah Faber has drawn an intriguing matchup against hard-hitting Francisco Rivera at UFC 181. The potentially explosive bantamweight battle is the latest addition to what is shaping up as a very strong card in Las Vegas on Dec.6. “The California Kid” will be looking to make it back-to-back wins, while Rivera will be looking to bounce back from a unanimous decision loss to Takeya Mizugaki in his last appearance at UFC 173.

The popular Faber is coming off a third-round submission victory over Alex Caceres at UFC 175. That contest saw him making a surprising appearance on the preliminary portion of the card. Even though he was fine with it, it seemed a major step backwards from Faber’s headlining bout against then-champion Renan Barao at UFC 169. Faber would sustain a first-round TKO loss in that February clash. He is currently holding down the No. 3 ranking in the division and has compiled a 7-3 record during his UFC tenure. All of those losses have come in title fights against Barao and Dominick Cruz.

Faber had been slated to square off against promotional newcomer Masanori Kanehara at Fight Night 52 in Japan, but a rib injury suffered in the bout against Caceres derailed that plan. The former WEC featherweight champion has been a long-time fixture in the lower weight divisions and owns career wins over current top-10 contenders Raphael Assuncao, Michael McDonald, Eddie Wineland, Cruz and Mizugaki. He’s produced 25 finishes by knockout or submission in his 31 career triumphs. Faber has done everything in his UFC career except win a title.

The No. 11 ranked Rivera is known for his aggressive style and ferocious knockout power. He’s looked impressive in his second stint with the organization, but faltered in his competition step-up against Mizugaki in May. He now gets the chance to redeem himself against one of the sport’s most recognizable competitors. “Cisco” has seven knockout victories in his 10 career wins and has showcased his violent striking skills in explosive Octagon triumphs over George Roop and Edwin Figueroa.

The 35-year-old Faber talked about getting fresh challenges in the 135-pound division and Rivera shapes up as one of those tests. The veteran will be looking to continue to remain a relevant title contender by recording another win. Meantime, the dangerous Rivera will be in search of a signature career victory against the most formidable opponent he’s faced so far.

Rick LaFitte is an MMA Writer for Rant Sports