MMA Legend Urijah Faber Reveals Why RAF Will Attract More Viewers Than UFC in the Future

Former WEC champion Urijah Faber reveals how fighter pay and compensation will boost RAF viewership in the future.

MMA Legend Urijah Faber Reveals Why RAF Will Attract More Viewers Than UFC in the Future

Urijah Faber talks about pay gap between UFC and RAF (via The Mac Life)

In Short
  • Real American Freestyle (RAF) is gaining traction as a competitor to the UFC, attracting notable MMA figures like Urijah Faber.
  • Faber emphasizes the potential for higher fighter pay in RAF, suggesting it could draw more viewers compared to the UFC.
  • Despite not competing in MMA since 2019, Faber remains active in wrestling and grappling, and continues to coach at Team Alpha Male.

Real American Freestyle has quickly positioned itself as one of the few emerging promotions capable of generating hype comparable to the UFC. A major reason behind this momentum is its ability to attract recognizable MMA figures. Among them is UFC veteran and former WEC champion Urijah Faber, who has highlighted the pay gap between RAF and the UFC, suggesting it could influence future engagement.

Faber built a long-standing career competing in the bantamweight and featherweight division against the likes of Dominick Cruz, Jose Aldo and Frankie Edgar. He fought for the UFC bantamweight title on multiple occasions, but didn’t win it. ‘The California Kid’ last competed in the UFC in 2019, where he faced Petr Yan at UFC 245, marking the final fight of his professional MMA career.

Since his final UFC appearance in 2019, Faber has remained active in wrestling and grappling competitions. He also launched his own jiu-jitsu and combat tournament, expanding his involvement beyond MMA. In recent RAF appearances, Faber competed twice, losing to Henry Cejudo and Arman Tsarukyan, leading up to his recent comments on the difference between promotional pay structure.

The pay is important… You can make as much as a doctor or a lawyer if you have four or five matches in a year. That’s never been heard of, and that’s why people are going to be tuning in. There’s going to be bigger hype, and this thing is going to have a lot of success.

Urijah Faber via The Ariel Helwani Show

While Urijah Faber’s bout against Cejudo did not draw as much traction, his matchup with Tsarukyan gained significantly more attention. The bout stood out largely because the Armenian star drove Faber off the mats and into the commentary team during the action, creating a chaotic moment. The match still continued despite the disruption, but that sequence ultimately became the highlight of the night.

Faber’s comments have reignited the ongoing discussion around fighter pay in the UFC. As the promotion continues to expand globally, multiple fighters have publicly voiced concerns regarding compensation levels and contractual structures. Amid growing scrutiny, UFC CEO Dana White has consistently defended the organization’s pay model, offering explanations in response to recurring allegations.

At 46 years old, Urijah Faber remains active despite not competing in MMA for several years. He continues to stay involved through wrestling and grappling tournaments, showing no signs of slowing down. His most recent win came in January 2025 against Francisco Rivera Jr. in a jiu-jitsu match. Given this momentum, it remains possible that the UFC veteran will feature in more RAF events going forward.

Urijah Faber reveals UFC welterweight contender’s determination to training

Myktybek Orolbai has emerged as one of the most intriguing and dangerous contenders in the welterweight division, backed by a dominant three-fight win streak. After suffering a loss to Mateusz Rebecki at UFC 308, the Kyrgyz native rebounded by submitting Tofiq Musayev in his next outing. He then followed it up with a knockout victory over UFC veteran Jack Hermansson at UFC Qatar.

Urijah Faber
Urijah Faber (via Heavy Sports)

However, Orolbai’s win over Chris Curtis at UFC Vegas in March 2026 stood out, as he landed an astonishing 19 takedowns in the fight, just three shy of the single-fight record.

The performance highlighted his grappling dominance. Following the matchup, Team Alpha Male head coach Urijah Faber revealed that Orolbai remained disciplined during camp while observing his fast throughout the month of Ramadan.

Myktybek is kind of on autopilot. He knows what he has to do, you don’t have to bug him about it, he works very hard. He’s been working smart through Ramadan. Staying with Ramadan throughout the whole month and also training a little bit in the morning and then in the evening.

Urijah Faber via Basyzbek Baratov

Urijah Faber has long served as a leading figure at Team Alpha Male, the Sacramento-based camp he founded and developed into a training hub. The gym has produced notable UFC champions including TJ Dillashaw and Cody Garbrandt, along with several top contenders across lighter divisions. ‘The California Kid’ continues to play an active coaching role, remaining closely involved in training fighters.

Also Read: