Urijah Faber believes T.J. Dillashaw, Chad Mendes can dethrone UFC champ Jose Aldo

Urijah Faber

Despite a 0-3 record in fights against Jose Aldo, Urijah Faber doesn’t think the UFC featherweight champion has Team Alpha Male’s number.

Aldo (25-1 MMA, 7-0 UFC) defeated Faber (31-7 MMA, 7-3 UFC) in lopsided fashion under the now-defunct WEC banner in 2010. Since then, the Brazilian has defeated Faber’s teammate, Chad Mendes (16-2 MMA, 7-2 UFC), on two separate occasions, most recently at UFC 179 in October.

Although Aldo’s been dominant for the overwhelming majority of his fight time against Team Alpha Male reps, Faber still has faith one of his training partners will knock Aldo off his throne.

Mendes gave Aldo a run for his money at UFC 179 but ultimately lost a unanimous decision. Faber sat cageside in Brazil for the bout, and after witnessing just how competitive Mendes was with the longtime champion, he said only a few minor adjustments are needed.

“I thought there was a good chance Chad was going to win that fight from the judges, but it was so close, and Aldo’s so tough that you can’t really argue either way,” Faber told MMAjunkie. “Chad’s going to be a better fighter and person for it.”

Although he’s already suffered two defeats to “Scarface,” Mendes’ situation doesn’t appear to be all that grim. Other Team Alpha Male fighters, including Faber and Joseph Benavidez, know what it’s like to be trapped in a division with two losses to the champion, but Mendes’ chances of earning a third crack at UFC gold seems much more realistic.

Jose Aldo and Chad Mendes

“Chad did amazing, and I think that’s a fight that will probably happen again,” Faber said. “He wanted to win, but he had an amazing performance. When you let it all hang out and you put it all on the line, it’s kind of hard to be disappointed in yourself, so that’s the mentality that he had.

“He had a performance that everyone was entertained with and everyone was proud of him for, so it was really cool to see him get some victory in the loss. I’ve had those before. I’ve had big fights where you lose, but you came out a victor. Mike Brown was a fight like that for me. I broke my hands and had a five-round war. I learned a lot about myself from that loss, and I think that’s what’s going to happen with Chad.”

If Mendes is granted another shot at Aldo’s belt, it’ll take some time since he needs to rebuild back to a No. 1 contender position. In the interim, though, another Team Alpha Male fighter has voiced his desire to fight the 145-pound king: UFC bantamweight champion T.J. Dillashaw (11-2 MMA, 7-2 UFC).

While Dillashaw has challenges in his own weight class, including a highly anticipated title defense against former titleholder Dominick Cruz, the 28-year-old recently said a matchup with Aldo is his most desired bout.

“I want to fight Aldo so bad,” Dillashaw recently said on Team Alpha Male Radio . “I will beat Aldo. I want to fight him. … I respect him. He’s an awesome fighter.”

Although most UFC champions focus on their own weight classes, Faber said his teammate’s willingness to move up a weight class to fight a fellow titleholder is the perfect example of Dillashaw’s passion.

T.J. Dillashaw

“T.J. is a super competitive guy,” he said. “Right now we’ve got a guy that believes in himself, a guy that’s extremely talented and a gifted athlete. He can do anything. I don’t think it would be a mismatch by any means. Whoever brings their best game on that day would win. Aldo might be a little bit bigger, but I think T.J. would be the guy more willing to die in the cage. That’s just the way he is, so there’s something to be said about that.”

While it’s natural for Faber to be boastful of his friends and teammates, his insight is more meaningful than most considering his history with Aldo. The Brazilian has found unmatched success against Team Alpha Male so far in his career, but with the unpredictable nature of the sport, Faber is confident that streak of good fortunate won’t last forever.

“I know that Aldo is one of the best pound-for-pound guys, but Chad and T.J. are both right there as well,” Faber said. “They both have what it takes to get the job done.”

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