Urijah Faber fires shots at Conor McGregor

It’s fair to say that Conor McGregor has caused something of a stir since his arrival in the UFC in 2013.

In his two short years with the promotion he has established legions of fans, inked a lucrative deal with Reebok, and earned himself a shot at the featherweight title. McGregor’s brash personality combined with his unprecedented ascent through the featherweight ranks has not sat well with many of the more established fighters of the division, however. From the moment he arrived McGregor has been dishing out insults and calling out everyone in the top ten at 145 pounds. In fact, he has had such an impact that even the champions in the weight classes above and below him have got their backs up.

The latest fighter to take offence is Team Alpha Male founder Urijah Faber. Speaking on the most recent episode of The Fighter & The Kid podcast, Faber seized the opportunity to take a couple of shots at the Irish phenom and even expressed interest in a potential fight.

“I love that fight,” Faber told podcast hosts Brian Callen and Brendan Schaub. “I wouldn’t mind fighting Conor. I’ll tell you what — he’s got something that a lot of guys don’t have. Something a guy like me doesn’t have, a guy like Chad Mendes doesn’t have, a guy like Frankie Edgar doesn’t have, and that’s the instincts and willingness to give up when he’s about to get knee barred. I wouldn’t give up. Come on … His knee was in danger of having some pain inflicted on it and he was like, ‘I’m out.'”

The former WEC champion was of course referring to McGregors first professional loss back in 2008 when he submitted to a kneebar at the hands of Artemij Sitenkov a little over a minute into the first round. McGregor was submitted again in 2010 but has since gone on a thirteen-fight tear that includes eleven knockouts and one submission. Faber maintains, however, that the instinct to quit is ingrained in McGregor and that he is likely to give up if he finds himself in a tough spot.

“If his body is in danger, he gives up,” Faber said. “Can you teach that? Can you take that away? I don’t think so. That’s an instinct. He will give up.”

Whether McGregor will quit when he finds himself in trouble inside the Octagon remains to be seen in the eyes of Faber as, so far, ‘The Notorious’ hasn’t even come close to finding himself in danger in his UFC career. Faber concluded the interview reiterating his interest in a match-up with McGregor and saying that he feels the Irishman’s propensity to quit would allow him to overcome the considerable size discrepancy between the two.

“I think that would be a good fight,” he said. “He’s massive compared to me, very athletic. But, the good thing is, he does give up, and I don’t.”

Faber is scheduled to fight former lightweight champion Frankie Edgar next month while McGregor takes on Jose Aldo in the main event of UFC 189 on July 11 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada.