Although WEC featherweight champion Jose Aldo has looked unstoppable in recent years, Urijah Faber believes he is the man with the tools to hand Aldo his first WEC loss this Saturday at WEC 48 in Sacramento, Calif.
"I feel like I'm the better fighter," Faber said Monday on The MMA Hour. "And I really feel like I'm the more well-rounded fighter with the wrestling, the jiu-jitsu, the standup as a whole, being the guy that's been in longer fights, being the guy that's better in the inbetweens of fighting ... I'm facing a dangerous guy, but I think I'm the better fighter."
Faber (23-3-1) believes his advantage is his experience. Aldo (16-1), who won the title from Mike Brown at WEC 44 in November, has never entered the fourth and fifth championship rounds. Meanwhile, Faber has been in two five-round battles in the past two years.
Also, Aldo has displayed an explosive and devastating striking ability in the cage, but little is known of his ground game. Faber, who has been wrestling since eighth grade, believes that's at least one area he can probably exploit.
"Although he's a black belt, I saw his fights three-four years ago, and his ground game really didn't look too good to me," Faber said. "So he's pretty new to the ground game. You can accomplish a lot in three years, but I've been doing the grappling thing for 16-17 years."
Faber last held the belt in June 2009 when he relinquished his belt to Brown in an unanimous decision that saw Faber break his right hand in the opening round. After recovering from the injury, Faber bounced back earlier this year to take Submission of the Night against Raphael Assuncao via rear-naked choke.
The major threat in fighting Assuncao was the Brazilian's submission prowess. On Saturday, Faber's primary worries will turn to hands, knees and shins when facing Aldo, who has stopped all six of his WEC opponents.
"Aldo is one of the guys that is dangerous," Faber said. "You look at the guy and obviously he's dangerous. You can't say that about every fighter."
But Faber enjoys the challenge and and says the dangers of fighting Aldo is "going to make me bring out the best Urijah Faber."
With his proven experience on the big stage, Faber believes he carries the keys to solving the mystery of beating the pound-for-pound-lister.
"It's going to come down to, who's going to have the heart, the mentality, the tenacity to win the fight," Faber says. "And I think I'm the guy."
"I feel like I'm the better fighter," Faber said Monday on The MMA Hour. "And I really feel like I'm the more well-rounded fighter with the wrestling, the jiu-jitsu, the standup as a whole, being the guy that's been in longer fights, being the guy that's better in the inbetweens of fighting ... I'm facing a dangerous guy, but I think I'm the better fighter."
Faber (23-3-1) believes his advantage is his experience. Aldo (16-1), who won the title from Mike Brown at WEC 44 in November, has never entered the fourth and fifth championship rounds. Meanwhile, Faber has been in two five-round battles in the past two years.
Also, Aldo has displayed an explosive and devastating striking ability in the cage, but little is known of his ground game. Faber, who has been wrestling since eighth grade, believes that's at least one area he can probably exploit.
"Although he's a black belt, I saw his fights three-four years ago, and his ground game really didn't look too good to me," Faber said. "So he's pretty new to the ground game. You can accomplish a lot in three years, but I've been doing the grappling thing for 16-17 years."
Faber last held the belt in June 2009 when he relinquished his belt to Brown in an unanimous decision that saw Faber break his right hand in the opening round. After recovering from the injury, Faber bounced back earlier this year to take Submission of the Night against Raphael Assuncao via rear-naked choke.
The major threat in fighting Assuncao was the Brazilian's submission prowess. On Saturday, Faber's primary worries will turn to hands, knees and shins when facing Aldo, who has stopped all six of his WEC opponents.
"Aldo is one of the guys that is dangerous," Faber said. "You look at the guy and obviously he's dangerous. You can't say that about every fighter."
But Faber enjoys the challenge and and says the dangers of fighting Aldo is "going to make me bring out the best Urijah Faber."
With his proven experience on the big stage, Faber believes he carries the keys to solving the mystery of beating the pound-for-pound-lister.
"It's going to come down to, who's going to have the heart, the mentality, the tenacity to win the fight," Faber says. "And I think I'm the guy."