SACRAMENTO - As one local star's spotlight fades in the UFC, another's is quickly rising and shining brighter than ever.
Sacramento's Urijah Faber (33-10), 37, will fight in what will be his final bout in UFC on Fox 22, Saturday at the Golden 1 Center. It will be the first ever UFC event in the new downtown arena.
Headlining that fight card will be his teammate from Team Alpha Male Paige VanZant (7-2) in her first main event match of her blossoming career, where she will square-off with Michelle Waterson (13-4).
"It's a huge deal for me, it feels really special; I feel blessed," the 22-year-old VanZant told ABC10 on Thursday. "Saturday night is going to be fireworks. It's going to be huge."
VanZant and Faber both participated in open workouts in front of fans huddled inside the massive hangar doors at the main entrance of the arena while the rain poured on the outside. Both are preparing for their fights coming up on Saturday.
For Faber, he comes into his fight against Brad Pickett (26-12) excited for his final fight in front of his hometown fans, but also ready for his next chapter as he prepares to leave the octagon for the final time.
"This arena means a lot to our community, we fought for it as a community," Faber said. "Being the first actual UFC event here and being the last fight for me is cool."
Follow Sean Cunningham on Twitter: @SeanCunningham
