Faber's legacy reaches further than octagon

As far as the careers of fighters go, Sacramento’s Urijah Faber has had one of the more storied and respected careers in MMA’s short history. He heads into his interim title fight with Renan Barao with a 26-5 record with 14 submissions and 7 knockouts. Adding a UFC title to his repertoire would truly solidify his spot amongst the greatest lighter weight fighters ever.

Some would say that Faber needs this win to be remembered as a great fighter, but the truth is Faber’s legacy goes well beyond wins and losses. His reach is further than the WEC and UFC cages.

A child of self-described hippies, Faber spent his early years in a “radical Christian community” before moving to Lincoln, Calif. where he spent his formidable years. It was during those years that Faber fell in love with wrestling, which led him to a successful NCAA wrestling career at UC Davis. After college Faber’s passion for competition led him into the world of mixed martial arts and after a decade in the sport he’s becoming one of the faces of MMA.

Not only has he become one of the most popular fighters, he’s also helped begin the careers of several well-established fighters in the UFC. With his gym and fight team, Team Alpha Male, Faber’s lineage has grown exponentially. Team Alpha Male has been the training ground for fighters such as Joseph Benavidez, Chad Mendes, Mark Munoz and TJ Dillashaw.

Benavidez is set to fight Demetrius Johnson for the UFC flyweight title; Mendes has fought for the featherweight title and is considered one of the top featherweights in the world. Munoz is considered a top middleweight contender, even after his TKO loss to Chris Weidman, and Dillashaw is beginning to make his own mark in the bantamweight division.

Faber’s reach goes outside the octagon as well. He’s an author, an entrepreneur and motivational speaker. Whether or not Faber defeats Barao, his legacy in the sport and in life is already set in stone.

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