• UFC 139

Faber not taking Bowles lightly

Urijah Faber says he is gearing himself up for a stern challenge when he faces Brian Bowles, while admitting he has one eye on a rematch with bantamweight king Dominick Cruz.

Faber, the former WEC featherweight champion, takes on Bowles at UFC 139 on November 19, the 'California Kid' hoping to put on a top showing in order to get closer to another clash with Cruz - whom he lost to at UFC 132 in July.

With much at stake, Faber, who has racked up 30 fights in his career, realises the importance of prevailing against Bowles and insists he is not taking his fellow former WEC champion lightly.

"He's super tough, " the 32-year-old said. "He's one of the world champions that not many people have heard of. For the fans it's not as big of a deal but for me, knowing how tough he is, I know it's going to be a good fight.

"He's fast but he's not as fast as I am. He's strong but I don't think he's as strong as I am. He's got great wrestling, he's got a lot of submissions - mostly chokes, like myself - but I think the creativity that I bring to the table and also the experience that I have is going to be the edge. And I gotta find a way to finish him because he's a hard guy to finish and I need to make a statement."

Faber's defeat to Cruz was a contentious one, with the result going to the judges' cards and Cruz winning via unanimous decision. Faber, who beat Cruz at featherweight in 2007, says clamour for a rematch is growing and the two must meet again to establish who the best is.

"The last fight was really close; it comes down to how the judges saw it," Faber said. "I did some damage and I don't think it was really proven who the best fighter is. I know Dominick did some great things also, he was really active but I think it needs to happen again. I think the winner of Bowles and I will probably get the shot against Cruz."

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