Urijah Faber explains why rival T.J. Dillashaw should get next title shot against Aljamain Sterling

As Urijah Faber prepares for his new MMA promotion’s first event, he was asked to give his thoughts on the UFC’s bantamweight title picture — one he sees his longtime rival involved in.

The former WEC champion and multi-time UFC title challenger will present the inaugural Urijah Faber’s A-1 Combat event this Sunday at Hard Rock Hotel & Casino just outside of Sacramento, Calif., and streams on UFC Fight Pass. When it comes to the UFC’s 135-pound division, and who could be next for Aljamain Sterling, Faber played acting matchmaker in regards to how to determine the next title challenger: is it T.J. Dillashaw? Is it Jose Aldo? Or, should Dillashaw and Aldo fight for the top spot?

“Man, that’s a great question,” Faber told MMA Fighting on Heck of a Morning. “Obviously, I would love to see [Dillashaw] vs. Aldo, but I would also like to see Aldo vs. ‘Aljo.’

“I don’t think that T.J. needs to show that he’s not there yet, Cory Sandhagen could very easily be the champ, or a title contender himself. He’s an amazing fighter, they had a close fight and some people thought Sandhagen won. Right now, for relevancy, I think T.J. vs. ‘Aljo’ is the fight to make, and then Aldo gets the winner of that. I think a T.J. vs. Aldo fight would be huge as well, but you don’t have the hunk of metal on the line so it’s dulled down a little bit, and then Aldo lost to Petr Yan, so I think the story is still a T.J. vs. ‘Aljo’ fight, or an Aldo-’Aljo’ fight because Aldo is somebody that has taken that loss from Yan and it really lit a fire and he’s looked better than he ever has, so I’d like to see that, too.”

As far as Faber the fighter goes, he hasn’t competed since a KO loss to Yan at UFC 245 in December 2019 — although “The California Kid” has mentioned an interest in a potential fight with Cub Swanson down the road.

Now that he is wearing his promoter hat, and with Faber seemingly on the fence as far as who should fight Sterling for the title next, he was asked to choose a side as the fantasy matchmaker: will it be Dillashaw, or Aldo?

“I would say T.J. [gets the shot],” Faber said.