How much is Urijah Faber worth?
| Net Worth: | $4 Million |
|---|---|
| Profession: | Professional MMA Fighter |
| Date of Birth: | May 14, 1979 (age 43) |
| Country: | United States of America |
| Height: | 5 ft 6 in (1.68 m) |
About Urijah Faber
Urijah Faber (also known as “The California Kid”) is a professional bantamweight mixed martial arts (MMA) fighter from Isla Vista, California. His career spans over 15 years – with 46 combined matches fought under promotional organizations including King of the Cage (KOTC), World Extreme Cagefighting (WEC), and most notably, the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC).
Faber is famous for excelling as fighter at the collegiate and professional levels. His fighting resume began to take shape at the University of California, Davis in the early 2000s. when he qualified for NCAA Division I wrestling nationals in 2001 and 2002 – falling one victory short of All-American recognition in the latter year.
In 2003, his rise to fame continued when he made his professional debut fighting under MMA promotional brand Gladiator Challenge (GC), beginning his career with eight consecutive victories through a mix of judge’s decisions, submissions, and technical knockouts. During this 22-month stretch, he earned the GC Bantamweight Championship and the KOTC Bantamweight Championship respectively.
Following his first career loss in September 2005, he bounced back with 13 consecutive wins over the next three years. This brilliant streak marked a turning point for Faber, as his growing experience led to opportunities in WEC – where he successfully transitioned to the featherweight class, an at one point, held the WEC Featherweight Championship.
Later, his fame reached unprecedented heights when he officially signed to the UFC in 2010, becoming a household name in the process.
Faber’s popularity gained through WEC, and later in the UFC made him rich – launching him into millionaire status. With his popularity and skills on the rise during the mid-2000s, Faber began to receive five-figure WEC payouts for each of his appearances in the octagon. From January 2007 to November 2010, he had earned an estimated $400,000 – averaging more than an estimated $36,000 per fight, not including additional income from pay-per-views, AMP energy drink sponsorship bonuses, and other profits.
When the WEC merged with the UFC at the end of this time period, Faber’s already-impressive earnings received another significant boost. The integration of the WEC in late-2010 was instrumental in the creation of lighter weight classes in the UFC – which had a notably larger audience. From his first UFC bout in March 2011 to his most recent fight in December 2019, Faber has earned more than an estimated $3,000,000; raking in paychecks of more than $100,000 in 16 of 18 match-ups.
Faber’s hard work and persistence played a fundamental role in his success. From college to the pros, he showcased an undying will to win that consistently separated him from his competitors.
From his early dominance of the KOTC bantamweight class, to his pursuit of glory as a WEC featherweight, Faber success is demonstrated not only through his personal achievements, but in his enormous influence on the world of MMA fighting as well.
While he fell short in two WEC featherweight title matches, his never-give-up attitude in the ring always illustrated the heart of a champion. The first of the two aforementioned fights was a classic rematch between Faber and Brown during WEC 41 in June 2009, marking an important moment in his career.
During the clash, Faber managed to compete for the full duration of all five rounds although he sustained a broken right hand and a dislocated left thumb early on. Largely due to Faber’s remarkable tenacity, the bout was recognized as “Fight of the Night”, and the event was one the most successful WEC showings in the organization’s history – drawing in more than 1 millionviewers.
This fight, along with several others on Faber’s early track record were instrumental in exhibiting the value and marketability of lighter weight classes on the more well known UFC stage.
His performances as a fighter under the UFC umbrella were incredibly successful too, leading to massive wealth and many other accolades.
Beyond his cemented status as an all-time fan favorite, he’s earned UFC Hall of Fame honors – and he holds records for the most submissions (6) and fights (17) in UFC bantamweight division history. Currently, he boasts a robust career fighting record of 35 wins and 11 losses.
Summing-Up
For almost two decades, Faber has made an undeniable stamp on the world of mixed martial arts fighting. His long-term presence in the sport has given him the chance to make considerable impact as one of the original forces to put bantamweight and featherweight fighting on the map. A true pioneer in his own right, “The California Kid” is viewed as an all-time legend by peers, competitors, members of the professional MMA community, and millions of fans around the world.
