Urijah Faber (UFC.com)

Urijah Faber may not have won any titles with the UFC, but he will still be honored as a legend. The UFC announced that Faber will be the first member of the 2017 class of the UFC Hall of Fame. They made the announcement this past Saturday at UFC 210. The ceremony will be July 6th in Las Vegas, Nevada.

It will be a packed weekend in July full of UFC events. The Hall of Fame ceremony kicks off International Fight Week for the UFC. The company will then crown a new Ultimate Fighter at the T-Mobile Arena the next night, and UFC 213 will be the night after that. The best way to describe what will happen: Consider it a WrestleMania weekend with MMA fighters. 

For Faber (34-10) to be announced as the first inductee this early into retirement is a huge honor. Its also a chance to reflect. Speaking to UFC.com after the announcement, he stated: 

“It’s nice to be recognized and it’s nice for folks to take time to acknowledge what I’ve done in the sport because I honestly haven’t had much time to do that myself. I went straight from retirement into business and mentoring and all the other projects I have. So this is a reminder to see that I’ve done some cool things and people are appreciative, so it is nice.”

Urijah Faber (34-10) is considered one of the best MMA fighters of the last few years. “The California Kid” was a WEC Featherweight Champion and KOTC Bantamweight Champion. The 37-year old joined the UFC in 2011 and stole the show each time he was fighting, whether it was a win or a loss.

Faber recently retired after a win over Brad Pickett at UFC on Fox 22 in December.

Like all fighters, Faber could make one last comeback. For now, he will enjoy another chance to be in the spotlight, this time without getting punched in the face. Congratulations Mr. Faber on entering the UFC Hall of Fame.