Faber wins in return as his A1 Combat business grows

Urijah Faber made quick work of Francisco "Cisco" Rivera Jr. in the main event of A1 Combat 33: Legends Collide on Jan. 30. The 46-year-old Lincoln High School graduate used his version of a rear naked choke to finish Rivera, who's 44, a little more than three minutes into the combat jiu-jitsu bout. Faber then spent the next 30 or so minutes posing for pictures with family, friends and fans outside the octagon, exchanging hugs, handshakes, conversation and memories as a sell-out crowd filed out of the Hard Rock Hotel and Casino Sacramento in Wheatland. Winning is nothing new to Faber. He fashioned a 35-11 record with 17 submissions and 10 knockouts and wore the WEC featherweight championship belt for two-plus years en route to the UFC Hall of Fame. Still, life has changed for Faber. For starters, "The California Kid" has kids now. Faber took his son, 5, backstage to meet Rivera before the fight. His daughter, 6, gave ring announcer Garret Fertig an emphatic and crowd-entertaining "really good" describing watching her dad in action. Faber and Rivera tangled in a rematch of their Dec. 6, 2014, tussle, when Faber accidentally poked Rivera in an eye before winning via submission. Friday's match was void of controversy as Faber caught Rivera in rear naked choke position and applied what he calls "No Country for Old Men," which Faber described as a straight arm on the jugular. Rivera tapped out quickly. "It doesn't look that bad, but it cuts off the air and it's really painful," Faber said. Faber says fighting presents him with a "good challenge" and offers him the opportunity to get in shape, stay sharp and be a positive influence to his family. His kids "never got to see" their dad in action as he compiled his UFC Hall-of-Fame résumé. "This shows 'em the old man's still got it and having a lot of fun," he says. "And this is my business as well." Faber owns A1 Combat, which he described as the top regional promotion in California. "We're kicking butt, bringing something to the area," he said. "We need to build up the next generation of talent. A lot of these promotions do not do a good job treating the fighters as they should be treated. We're trying to change that and be a high-end regional show that feeds guys to the big show." Faber noted A1 Combat "had to really step up our game" after it landed a UFC Fight Pass contract in January 2024. "People are tuning in all over and we want to make sure we're giving them a top-quality product," Faber said. Friday's 14-match lineup received the approval of the crowd and consumed roughly five hours total, featuring regional and local fighters, including those representing Faber's Team Alpha Male. The Hard Rock venue was pumped up with a high-powered – and quality – sound system hammered the crowd with music from various genres, along with lights and plenty of smoke when the combatants were introduced on their way to the octagon. A1 Combat 33 also included local star power among the fans. In the house were Max "Pain" Griffin, who trained at Marinoble's in Roseville during his climb to the UFC; Ultimate Fighting Champion Ryan Loder, a Granite Bay High School graduate; UFC ranked bantamweight Song Yadong and UFC flyweight Sumudaerji, among others. Faber thanked matchmaker Tom Anderson, whom he describes as "Dana White-ish" in a nod to the UFC president and CEO. "(Anderson) and his wife do an amazing job putting this thing together," Faber said. "I wish I could take more credit. I don't do much, to be honest. I recruit my talent, I help promote, but those guys are doing all the nuts and bolts." As a high school wrestler, Faber qualified for the CIF State Meet (he missed the podium by an overtime loss). He was a two-time NCAA Division I Championship qualifier and missed All-America status by one round on his way to becoming the all-time leader in wins (92) and dual wins (42) at UC Davis. Faber achieved mixed martial arts stardom, opened Urijah Faber's Ultimate Fitness, started Team Alpha Male, a pioneer among MMA schools, he partnered with Sacramento State to start Combat U for students I 2024, and his A1 Combat has taken off. So at 46, and with two young children, why did Faber come out of retirement to headline A1 Combat 33? It's the challenge. "Around my birthday, I challenge myself to some kind of competition," says Faber, who turns 47 on May 14. "This is my seventh competition when it comes to grappling in the last five years. I get enjoyment out of it, I love the crowd, I love the experience."