UFC 139 Results: What a Urijah Faber Win Means for the Bantamweight Division

There’s nothing complicated about what a Urijah Faber win over Brian Bowles this evening means for the bantamweight division of the UFC.

For anyone who follows the sport, the impact of the biggest little man on the planet getting back in the title picture is obvious.

It means a conclusion to the trilogy with current champion Dominick Cruz.

It means the biggest fight out there for a fledgling division that needs it.

It means money for the UFC, as Faber is arguably the only WEC import other than Jose Aldo capable of headlining a pay-per-view with any success.

And make no mistake, if Faber wins, he’ll get another title shot.

The UFC has been mum on the winner of Faber/Bowles getting Cruz, presumably to leave their options open. But Faber is a legitimate draw, and his last tilt with Cruz was close enough and epic enough to warrant him getting back in there pretty quickly.

However, aside from a fight with Cruz, one that may well prop up the division long enough for it to get traction with the common MMA fan and make the UFC a few bucks in the process, there's more to a Urijah Faber win.

If The California Kid beats Brian Bowles at UFC 139, it legitimizes him in the division that much further. He’ll have wins over two former WEC champions and a close loss to the current UFC champion, and that looks pretty good on a resume.

All too often, fighters fall into the trap of dropping a weight class to reinvent themselves. It may be because they lose to a current champion, or that they’ve suffered a bad stretch and need something to change it up, but it rarely ends well.

Beating Bowles this evening keeps Faber out of that trap, proves 135 is where he should be and gives him the momentum to stay at the top of the division now and after he fights Cruz again—regardless of outcome there.

Lots of guys at UFC 139 have plenty to fight for, but Urijah Faber has perhaps more than any of them. Both for himself and for the UFC, a win by the former featherweight stud means a big fight and big money, and that may have to come at the expense of Brian Bowles.