FloCombat Gym Stories: Urijah Faber
FloCombat Gym Stories: Urijah Faber
By Tony ReidTeam Alpha Male has long been one of the most impactful and successful gyms in all of mixed martial arts. Founded by Urijah Faber in 2004, the S
By Tony Reid
Team Alpha Male has long been one of the most impactful and successful gyms in all of mixed martial arts.
Founded by Urijah Faber in 2004, the Sacramento-based collective used their work over the next decade to become the standard bearer for fighters competing in the lighter weight classes. And while Faber's continued success kept the spotlight on his squad, their ability to produce legitimate contenders and future titleholders at a steady clip solidified "TAM's" elite status.
Former UFC bantamweight champion T.J. Dillashaw joined the team fresh out of college and quickly gained visibility as Faber's protege. The same could be said for Chad Mendes and Joseph Benavidez. Both forged their skill sets inside the walls of the Faber-owned Ultimate Fitness Facility and eventually made title runs of their own.
Nevertheless, MMA is an uncertain game and shifting interests eventually led to the departure of some of Alpha Male's core members. Fighters like Dillashaw and Benavidez trekked out to begin training at Team Elevation in Denver, and the tensions that played out across the headlines of MMA media were converted into ammunition for Team Alpha Male's most bitter rival Dominick Cruz. .
The heated feud between Faber and Cruz goes back all the way back to the "little blue cage" of the WEC, and is still rolling strong in the lead up to their long awaited rubber match set to go down at UFC 199 on June 4 in Las Vegas. Faber and Cruz seem to derive a particular enjoyment from exchanging verbal and physical jabs alike, and their re-ignited friction has pushed the beef between "The California Kid" and Dillashaw to the back burner in recent weeks and months.
The temporary cease fire with Dillashaw has allowed Faber time to reflect and the former WEC featherweight champion and organizational poster boy shared his most memorable moment involving his former star pupil.
"I have been mentoring a number of young guys as they come up through the program," Faber told FloCombat. "T.J. is a guy that was kind of by my hip since the beginning. We have sparring sessions at the gym where we had two guys sparring each other and all the fighters and coaches gather around and watch. It’s a “your time to shine” kinda deal.
"T.J. has always been a real competitive guy. When he is having a rough time he gets pretty vocal about it. Joseph Benavidez was sparring with another bantamweight and he ends up catching the other guy and knocking him out cold. It was bad. The guy starts convulsing and everything. Everybody is freaking out. You don’t try to do that in practice. You want to watch out for your partners and be careful. T.J was frustrated after practice and he took me aside and was like “Man, I don’t see how [Benavidez] does that!”
"He was frustrated that he had not knocked anybody out in practice like that. I had to tell him “Hey man first off your time will come. Your hands are developing…” He was just frustrated that Joseph could knock guys out like that and he couldn’t. That can attest for T.J.’s competitive nature and his mean streak. That was a funny story, looking back now with what he has been able to accomplish.”
Faber has a date locked on the calendar to face Cruz in the co-main event at UFC 199, but there is still plenty of interest hovering in regard to a potential mathcup with Dillashaw down the road.
Team Alpha Male has long been one of the most impactful and successful gyms in all of mixed martial arts.
Founded by Urijah Faber in 2004, the Sacramento-based collective used their work over the next decade to become the standard bearer for fighters competing in the lighter weight classes. And while Faber's continued success kept the spotlight on his squad, their ability to produce legitimate contenders and future titleholders at a steady clip solidified "TAM's" elite status.
Former UFC bantamweight champion T.J. Dillashaw joined the team fresh out of college and quickly gained visibility as Faber's protege. The same could be said for Chad Mendes and Joseph Benavidez. Both forged their skill sets inside the walls of the Faber-owned Ultimate Fitness Facility and eventually made title runs of their own.
Nevertheless, MMA is an uncertain game and shifting interests eventually led to the departure of some of Alpha Male's core members. Fighters like Dillashaw and Benavidez trekked out to begin training at Team Elevation in Denver, and the tensions that played out across the headlines of MMA media were converted into ammunition for Team Alpha Male's most bitter rival Dominick Cruz. .
The heated feud between Faber and Cruz goes back all the way back to the "little blue cage" of the WEC, and is still rolling strong in the lead up to their long awaited rubber match set to go down at UFC 199 on June 4 in Las Vegas. Faber and Cruz seem to derive a particular enjoyment from exchanging verbal and physical jabs alike, and their re-ignited friction has pushed the beef between "The California Kid" and Dillashaw to the back burner in recent weeks and months.
The temporary cease fire with Dillashaw has allowed Faber time to reflect and the former WEC featherweight champion and organizational poster boy shared his most memorable moment involving his former star pupil.
"I have been mentoring a number of young guys as they come up through the program," Faber told FloCombat. "T.J. is a guy that was kind of by my hip since the beginning. We have sparring sessions at the gym where we had two guys sparring each other and all the fighters and coaches gather around and watch. It’s a “your time to shine” kinda deal.
"T.J. has always been a real competitive guy. When he is having a rough time he gets pretty vocal about it. Joseph Benavidez was sparring with another bantamweight and he ends up catching the other guy and knocking him out cold. It was bad. The guy starts convulsing and everything. Everybody is freaking out. You don’t try to do that in practice. You want to watch out for your partners and be careful. T.J was frustrated after practice and he took me aside and was like “Man, I don’t see how [Benavidez] does that!”
"He was frustrated that he had not knocked anybody out in practice like that. I had to tell him “Hey man first off your time will come. Your hands are developing…” He was just frustrated that Joseph could knock guys out like that and he couldn’t. That can attest for T.J.’s competitive nature and his mean streak. That was a funny story, looking back now with what he has been able to accomplish.”
Faber has a date locked on the calendar to face Cruz in the co-main event at UFC 199, but there is still plenty of interest hovering in regard to a potential mathcup with Dillashaw down the road.