Faber is one tough dude, although Pulver impressed the heck out of me by not getting knocked out with some of those punches. The Torres fight was good as well.
Enough about Kimbo, Who saw the Faber fight?
- Thread starter Sturgis Sledder
- Start date
We all know Pulver is tough...but he's been slipping out of the ranks as of late, especially with the way BJ beat him.
But I'll tell ya what...THAT was awesome.
5 rounds of that? WHAT A TREAT!!!
Might even has been as good of fight as Wanderlei Silva/Liddell this past winter.
What a WAR. I thought Pulver might have hit the button a few times on him, but Faber stayed alive, even when he looked rocked. Talk about quick recovery time.
I am impressed. The WEC will be lucky to keep Faber out of the UFC.
Does anyone know where Faber wrestled in college?
But I'll tell ya what...THAT was awesome.
5 rounds of that? WHAT A TREAT!!!
Might even has been as good of fight as Wanderlei Silva/Liddell this past winter.
What a WAR. I thought Pulver might have hit the button a few times on him, but Faber stayed alive, even when he looked rocked. Talk about quick recovery time.
I am impressed. The WEC will be lucky to keep Faber out of the UFC.
Does anyone know where Faber wrestled in college?
From his website:
Urijah Faber was born in a house on May 14th 1979, in the college town of Isla Vista, California (a small town bordering UC Santa Barbara), and raised in Sacramento, California. Urijah's upbringing was very unique. From birth he was raised holistic, being born at home with mid-wife's, and his parents refusing immunization shots. Until this day Urijah has scarecely used conventional medicine, and has maintained a lifetime of healthy habits in diet and excercise. Urijah attended High School in Lincoln, a small town of about 8,000 people, where he was a standout athlete. Athletics had been a part of Urijah's life since an early age, he spent much of his childhood and teen years occupied with playing football, roller hockey, and wrestling. After a successful high school career as a wrestler. Urijah moved on to furthur his wrestling along with his academics at University of California at Davis.
Although he did not enter college with a scholarship, he was awarded one after his freshman year on the team. The following year he was the starting 133 lb. wrestler for Davis, a spot that remained his for the rest of his college career. While wrestling in college Urijah became the all time win leader for UC Davis and a two time NCAA D-1 qualifier, finishing in the top 12 in 2002. In freestyle Urijah competed in the University Nationals where he was a National runner up, becoming the true alternate for the University Nationals World Team. After earning his Bachelors of Science degree in Human Development, Urijah stayed on staff at UC Davis as the lightweight wrestling coach and began his MMA Career.
Great commentary in the local paper today...
SPOT ON. I'm gonna email him this thread. LOL
http://www.missoulian.com/articles/2008/06/04/sports/sports02.txt
Local/Regional Sports
CHAD DUNDAS: Slice, CBS don't put new sport's best fist forward
The latest reports say just over six million viewers tuned in on Saturday night to watch the sport of mixed martial arts' live debut on network television. That means that despite the fact “EliteXC: Primetime,” ran over by nearly 45 minutes and included a dearth of compelling bouts, CBS will likely stick around for at least one more show with the fledgling fight company.
It is believed to be the largest American audience to watch an event of the fast-growing sport that fuses disciplines like boxing, wrestling and jiu-jitsu into one diverse and dynamic package. That's really too bad, considering those six million sets of eyes would've been better served had they been trained elsewhere. The people who got stuck sitting through “Internet sensation,” Kevin “Kimbo Slice,” Ferguson's terrible fight with professional tomato can James Thompson essentially got duped into watching the wrong MMA show this weekend.
One night after Slice and Thompson flopped around the EliteXC cage like a couple of winded amateurs having their first fight, a different pair of highly trained and experienced mixed martial artists put on what may prove to be the bout of the year on the Versus cable network.
In a show where the Nielsen rating probably didn't crest 1.0, world featherweight champion Urijah Faber defeated challenger Jens Pulver by unanimous decision after five rounds of non-stop action and technical know-how in front of 12,682 live fans at Arco Arena in Sacramento.
Unlike sluggish heavyweight behemoths Slice and Thompson, Faber and Pulver showed off a sharp array of skills that were more sweet science than backyard brawl. The accomplished collegiate wrestler (Faber) and the wily striker (Pulver) engaged in a back-and-forth stand-up battle where the younger, quicker champion eventually emerged as the better fighter.
It was Faber's 13th victory in a row. The all-time wins leader and former assistant coach of the UC Davis wrestling team may well be the sport's next great star, however neither he nor Pulver earned $50,000 for their efforts over the weekend.
That could be because in a sports culture obsessed with heavyweights, these two stand barely five-and-a-half feet tall and each weighed in for their title match at 145 pounds. It could be because the public has been told to expect copious amounts of blood and brutality from MMA and so it hungers to see heavy-swinging headhunters fight in a cage rather than more nuanced strategists.
Or it could be because nobody outside of the hardcore fans of the sport knew they were fighting. Faber and Pulver pulled off their bout in relative anonymity, without the benefit of the full time media hype machine that fueled the debacle of Slice vs. Thompson.
Commercials featuring Slice have been in heavy rotation for a few months, making EliteXC's debut on CBS the channel's most hyped sporting event since the Masters and, before that, probably the Final Four.
The inexperienced and overexposed heavyweight has also become a minor hit on the late night talk show circuit, graced the cover of ESPN the Magazine last week and was a presenter at the recent Country Music Awards. Reports say he made six figures for taking out Thompson via questionable referee stoppage. Not bad for a guy who's never actually fought anyone of substance.
Still, in spite of - or maybe because of - the success Slice has seen, EliteXC and the sport itself still fight for acceptance. To give you an example of how this weekend's show rated here, Missoula's CBS affiliate chose to tape delay the event until 11 p.m. in favor of a local telethon.
What happens to the future of EliteXC's relationship with CBS remains to be seen. There was some dissension among network bigwigs over getting in bed with MMA, but the decision gave the company a significant bump from its recent Saturday night ratings, particularly among young males.
If those people stick around for a second show is obviously unknown. But if promoters are serious about capturing an audience and keeping it in the long term, it would be advisable for them to stop shining the spotlight on lackluster fighters like Kimbo Slice and start putting a lot more stock in men like Urijah Faber.
Sports writer Chad Dundas can be reached at 523-5361 or at chad.dundas@missoulian.com.
SPOT ON. I'm gonna email him this thread. LOL
http://www.missoulian.com/articles/2008/06/04/sports/sports02.txt
Local/Regional Sports
CHAD DUNDAS: Slice, CBS don't put new sport's best fist forward
The latest reports say just over six million viewers tuned in on Saturday night to watch the sport of mixed martial arts' live debut on network television. That means that despite the fact “EliteXC: Primetime,” ran over by nearly 45 minutes and included a dearth of compelling bouts, CBS will likely stick around for at least one more show with the fledgling fight company.
It is believed to be the largest American audience to watch an event of the fast-growing sport that fuses disciplines like boxing, wrestling and jiu-jitsu into one diverse and dynamic package. That's really too bad, considering those six million sets of eyes would've been better served had they been trained elsewhere. The people who got stuck sitting through “Internet sensation,” Kevin “Kimbo Slice,” Ferguson's terrible fight with professional tomato can James Thompson essentially got duped into watching the wrong MMA show this weekend.
One night after Slice and Thompson flopped around the EliteXC cage like a couple of winded amateurs having their first fight, a different pair of highly trained and experienced mixed martial artists put on what may prove to be the bout of the year on the Versus cable network.
In a show where the Nielsen rating probably didn't crest 1.0, world featherweight champion Urijah Faber defeated challenger Jens Pulver by unanimous decision after five rounds of non-stop action and technical know-how in front of 12,682 live fans at Arco Arena in Sacramento.
Unlike sluggish heavyweight behemoths Slice and Thompson, Faber and Pulver showed off a sharp array of skills that were more sweet science than backyard brawl. The accomplished collegiate wrestler (Faber) and the wily striker (Pulver) engaged in a back-and-forth stand-up battle where the younger, quicker champion eventually emerged as the better fighter.
It was Faber's 13th victory in a row. The all-time wins leader and former assistant coach of the UC Davis wrestling team may well be the sport's next great star, however neither he nor Pulver earned $50,000 for their efforts over the weekend.
That could be because in a sports culture obsessed with heavyweights, these two stand barely five-and-a-half feet tall and each weighed in for their title match at 145 pounds. It could be because the public has been told to expect copious amounts of blood and brutality from MMA and so it hungers to see heavy-swinging headhunters fight in a cage rather than more nuanced strategists.
Or it could be because nobody outside of the hardcore fans of the sport knew they were fighting. Faber and Pulver pulled off their bout in relative anonymity, without the benefit of the full time media hype machine that fueled the debacle of Slice vs. Thompson.
Commercials featuring Slice have been in heavy rotation for a few months, making EliteXC's debut on CBS the channel's most hyped sporting event since the Masters and, before that, probably the Final Four.
The inexperienced and overexposed heavyweight has also become a minor hit on the late night talk show circuit, graced the cover of ESPN the Magazine last week and was a presenter at the recent Country Music Awards. Reports say he made six figures for taking out Thompson via questionable referee stoppage. Not bad for a guy who's never actually fought anyone of substance.
Still, in spite of - or maybe because of - the success Slice has seen, EliteXC and the sport itself still fight for acceptance. To give you an example of how this weekend's show rated here, Missoula's CBS affiliate chose to tape delay the event until 11 p.m. in favor of a local telethon.
What happens to the future of EliteXC's relationship with CBS remains to be seen. There was some dissension among network bigwigs over getting in bed with MMA, but the decision gave the company a significant bump from its recent Saturday night ratings, particularly among young males.
If those people stick around for a second show is obviously unknown. But if promoters are serious about capturing an audience and keeping it in the long term, it would be advisable for them to stop shining the spotlight on lackluster fighters like Kimbo Slice and start putting a lot more stock in men like Urijah Faber.
Sports writer Chad Dundas can be reached at 523-5361 or at chad.dundas@missoulian.com.
WEC Rocks
I am absolutely addicted to the WEC! I have a season pass on my TIVO for Wreckage and watch it almost nightly re-runs and all! and its all FREE!
I tivo'd the fight Sunday night and it recorded up until the introductions to the Faber and Pulver fight and STOPPED! I went nuts!!! but luckily they aired the fight back to back and I was able to see the fight at about 1 AM! Man a great fight! I was so Happy to see it go all 5 rounds! no let downs at all!
I think the Torres fight was just as good, and I think that Japanese gut broke his eye socket or something that eye swelled up HUGE and quick! I wonder if it was a carrer ending injury? if not I would actually PAY to see that re-match!
I am absolutely addicted to the WEC! I have a season pass on my TIVO for Wreckage and watch it almost nightly re-runs and all! and its all FREE!
I tivo'd the fight Sunday night and it recorded up until the introductions to the Faber and Pulver fight and STOPPED! I went nuts!!! but luckily they aired the fight back to back and I was able to see the fight at about 1 AM! Man a great fight! I was so Happy to see it go all 5 rounds! no let downs at all!
I think the Torres fight was just as good, and I think that Japanese gut broke his eye socket or something that eye swelled up HUGE and quick! I wonder if it was a carrer ending injury? if not I would actually PAY to see that re-match!
B
buck50
ACCOUNT CLOSED
isn't wec owned by ufc???????????? and there is no wieght class in the ufc for faber, yet!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
UFC did purchase the WEC. It's crazy, the Fertitta's purchased the UFC for $2 million in 2001 and raked in $222 million in PPV buys alone in '06.
They need to move Faber to the lightweight division of the UFC to take on BJ Penn. Faber is crazy quick, see how he stacks up to some real talent.
They need to move Faber to the lightweight division of the UFC to take on BJ Penn. Faber is crazy quick, see how he stacks up to some real talent.
Agreed, but Pulver is a pretty talented fighter.
Ya the WEC has a lot of good fighter's, I'm not sure I need to see a 145lb class but they do have some good heavy weight's, Alexander amelionenko @6'7'' and 270lbs is about as good as it get's in that class
Why do people always think the heavyweights are the ones to watch?
I belong to the forum at TheMat.com and there are always these backyard wresters who only talk about how much they hate watching all the small dudes before they finally get to the heavyweights. WTF? LMFAO.
MANY heavyweight matches at lower levels and up through college are like watching walruses mate.
I think Uriah Faber just proved there NEEDS to be lighter weight classes.
Some of the toughest dudes pound for pound are not given weight classes by the UFC. Even the WEC recognizes that the guys under 155 are tough. They have TWO weight classes under the 155, don't they? Listen up, UFC, Faber and Pulver put 145 on the map.
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