UFC 139 Results: Urijah Faber Is the Face of the Lighter Weight Classes

After securing a victory over top-five bantamweight Brian Bowles at UFC 139 last night, Urijah Faber is once again next in line for a bantamweight title shot against Dominick Cruz.

This is Faber’s fourth shot at earning a WEC/UFC title since he lost his featherweight crown to Mike Brown back in November of 2008, losing a rematch to Brown and a decision to Jose Aldo at featherweight, and his UFC 132 bantamweight title fight against Cruz.

While it may seem a little ridiculous for Zuffa to give one man four title shots in just under three years, they really don’t have any other choice.

While Faber may get thrown into No. 1 contender fights a little too often, the UFC is smart enough to realize that he is one of their most marketable fighters and is in a weight class that has little to no star power.

Fans see Faber on television pretty frequently due to his deals with K-Swiss and Amp Energy, making him one of the most well known fighters in the sport, even though he hasn’t held a belt in almost three years.

Meanwhile fighters like Cruz, Aldo and UFC lightweight champion Frankie Edgar are lucky if they are able to make a cover of a UFC magazine.

Obviously, no fans seem to have a problem with Faber getting another shot at Cruz after just one fight, partially because there is a lack of options at 135, but mostly because there is no one they would rather see in that position.

Faber is as popular as almost any fighter in the UFC today, and he is the only fighter with real drawing power below 170 lbs. making him a threat to fight for a belt anytime he gets on anything resembling a winning streak.

As good of a fighter as Dominick Cruz is, it is obvious the UFC would prefer to see Urijah Faber with a UFC belt wrapped around his waist and will continue to give him the opportunity to win it.

Be sure to stay tuned to Bleacher Report for all things UFC 139. B/R is your home for complete coverage of the November 19 fight card, including results and post-fight analysis.