Urijah Faber ends career with win at UFC on Fox 22

SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Hometown star Urijah Faber had two major goals for his final fight on the UFC on Fox 22 card Saturday at Golden 1 Center.

He took care of the first by delivering a dominant performance that conjured memories of his dominant days as World Extreme Cagefighting champion, battering Brad Pickett for three rounds to win a unanimous decision.

Faber also was able to control his emotions enough to accomplish his second goal, though it was a much closer call.

“I wanted to be able to speak in the cage afterward without bawling,” Faber said at the news conference. “I kept it together, and I’m proud of that.”

The night wasn’t a complete success for Faber.

He admitted to vomiting after his fight for the first time in his career. He also had to watch as his protege and teammate Paige VanZant was submitted by Michelle Waterson in the main event.

VanZant was taken down midway through the first round, and Waterson locked in a rear-naked choke. VanZant fought the maneuver valiantly and refused to tap out, prompting referee John McCarthy to stop the fight when VanZant stopped struggling and her arms went limp.

“We were working really hard on submissions and staying calm while she’s trying to scramble,” Waterson said.

VanZant was undeterred after losing for the second time in three fights, a stretch that was sandwiched around a runner-up performance on the reality show “Dancing With The Stars.”

“Michelle Waterson’s a really good fighter,” VanZant said. “I knew it was going to be a good test for me. I’ve got to work on my jiu-jitsu apparently, so I’m going to do that. I was meant for the spotlight, and I’m going to continue to be in the spotlight. I will be champion one day. I’m 22 years old, and I train at the best gym in the world. I’ll be back and better.

“I got caught tonight. It happens.”

Another of the organization’s most hyped prospects, Sage Northcutt, also succumbed to a rear-naked choke. Northcutt was submitted by Mickey Gall at 1:40 of the second round after Gall dropped him to the mat with a punch.

But the night belonged to Faber. He dropped Pickett several times and dragged him to the mat several other times. Once the fight was on the ground, Faber made Pickett pay with a barrage of punches and short elbows while constantly hunting submission attempts.

It was a vintage performance by the former WEC champ, who lost all four UFC title shots and had lost three of his past four fights.

“I’ve had a great run,” Faber said. “I’ve been a world champion. I’ve been a top contender for a decade. I’ve been a poster boy for an organization. I’ve done a lot, and it’s also a tough way to make a living. I don’t want to be a guy where people are asking if I’m falling apart or I’m a little punchy.

“I’m excited for the next phase of things.”

If Faber indeed walks away for good, he left on quite a high note. The 37-year-old finished his career before a partial, raucous crowd at a sparkling new downtown arena a few miles from where he grew up, but worlds away from where he began his career.

“I was fighting at an Indian casino in tennis shoes when it was illegal in California,” Faber said of his 2003 debut in Colusa, California. “I made $200 to show up and $200 for my win. I didn’t tell my mom because I knew she’d be pissed. That’s the start of my career. To grow to this is just amazing.”

While VanZant came up short, the two other fighters from Faber’s Team Alpha Male were victorious. Lightweight Josh Emmett won a unanimous decision over Scott Holtzman, and flyweight Hector Sandoval won all three rounds against Fredy Serrano.

Welterweight Mike Perry suffered the first loss of his career, a unanimous decision by Alan Jouban.

Contact Adam Hill at ahill@reviewjournal.com or 702-277-8028. Follow @adamhilllvrj on Twitter.