Urijah Faber would only fight T.J. Dillashaw if the champ wanted it
Urijah Faber doesn't have much time left in mixed martial arts.
The 36-year-old veteran has been fighting full time since 2003 and as much as his body still feels like's in his twenties, Faber really doesn't have a desire to actually fight until he's in his forties.
Just because Faber's time is dwindling down doesn't mean he isn't targeting another run at a title before he's done. Faber is still ranked in the top five at bantamweight in the UFC and he absolutely wants to pursue the belt one last time before calling it a career.
Right now for Faber to earn a title shot at 135 pounds, it means facing his friend and teammate T.J. Dillashaw and as much as the former WEC champion wants to add a UFC title to his resume, that's still not a fight he's looking to land.
"I would say people have talked about that and you never know what's going to happen," Faber told FOX Sports. "I, myself, am not gunning for that fight but I'm always gunning for a title. I don't have a lot of time left in this sport, just by choice. I'm a healthy, physically fit, durable guy that could keep going but I'm not going to be doing this forever. I'm going to be in here while I'm still at the top of the game.
"It's not the fight I'm looking for but you never know how the chips will fly and what will happen. I think there's some other big fights out there as well."
There is one caveat to this scenario where Faber would finally sign on the dotted line to face Dillashaw in the Octagon.
As Dillashaw starts to dig into his first title reign as UFC champion he not only needs wins, but he needs high-profile fights to raise his status amongst the best fighters in the world competing on the biggest stage. So far he's destroyed former champion Renan Barao on two occasions, but like every title holder in the UFC, Dillashaw needs quality opponents to put his fights in the spotlight.
That's where Faber comes in.
Dillashaw's mentor and longtime coach would agree to fight him if the bantamweight champion felt like that was the best possible matchup for his career. There's no doubt a battle between Faber and Dillashaw would probably be one of the biggest bantamweight bouts of all time and if the champion asked for it, the fight would happen.
"That's something that I always told TJ -- if he thought that was the best opportunity for him whether it be monetarily or exposure or whatever it would be, if he wanted to ask for that fight, I would do it," Faber said.
"That's about the only way it would happen."
