Urijah Faber Throws More Jabs At Conor McGregor — Verbal Jabs, That Is — As UFC Feud Between The Two Simmers

Conor McGregor is a relatively new kid on the block in the UFC, the brashly confident Irishman is so far letting his fists do the talking inside the octagon, and his mouth is doing its share of talking outside the cage.

Long time UFC veteran, and former featherweight champion, Urijah Faber, seems to have taken notice of McGregor but makes clear he isn’t too impressed, generally taking advantage of any opportunity to mock McGregor, question his fighting skill, and last month even doing his best to insult all the people of Ireland.

“I’ve seen some hot Irish women but all the dudes over there are pretty mangled looking. Conor, just not having freckles and bright red hair makes him like a super male model over there. The ability to not have a face full of freckles and red hair steps his game up tremendously in Ireland. They’ve got a hero and he’s good.”

Urijah Faber’s most recent verbal jiu-jitsu moves aimed to put Conor McGregor in his place, while also underlining Faber’s not being too impressed with McGregor’s fighting prowess, were delivered on The Fighter & The Kid podcast, reports FOX Sports.

Apparently McGregor and Faber had a face-to-face meeting during the last leg of the UFC 189 promotional tour, McGregor’s version of what occurred showcasing his typical confidence, and Faber’s version casting McGregor as a laughable loud mouth.

While discussing the prospect of fighting Conor McGregor, Faber told The Fighter & The Kid podcast hosts, Bryan Callen and Brendan Schaub, that McGregor is “a very talented guy.”

But like a quick couple of jabs, Faber’s seeming praise of McGregor was just a set-up for some sarcastic insults, Faber quickly saying that McGregor’s true talent was his ability to talk.

“He’s got great ability to talk. And, that’s not fake. That’s real. We’ve had some private conversations where he (McGregor) started yapping, and I was saving my stuff (Faber laughs) and he was spitting it out!”

For Conor McGregor, the “private conversation” unfolded differently, with McGregor “confronting” both Urijah Faber and his “Team Alpha Male” teammate, TJ Dillashaw, regarding their alleged trash-talking of McGregor.

“I spoke with (Chad Mendes) teammate, Urijah (Faber). He was talking sh*t as well. Him and his little buddy TJ (Dillashaw),” said McGregor.

McGregor then claims he went on to tell Faber and TJ Dillashaw he was going to beat Jose Aldo, something Faber failed to do in 2010. The admission underlines the brewing feud between Faber and McGregor as the Irishman prepares for his upcoming July match against Jose Aldo, who hasn’t lost since 2005 and beat Faber into submission, largely with a relentless onslaught of leg kicks.

“I’m going to make it (beating Aldo) look easy,” said McGregor. “I’m going to do what none of them could do at Team Alpha Male.”

Which begs the question: How about a fight between McGregor and Urijah? Both fighters say they’re game to face off with the other.

After emphasizing his belief that Conor McGregor is a quitter and will tap out anytime he’s faced with potential pain, Urijah Faber says he’d love to fight McGregor, despite McGregor’s distinctive size advantage.

“I think that would be a good fight. He’s massive compared to me, very athletic. But, the good thing is, he does give up, and I don’t.”

McGregor, meanwhile, says he’d be open to fighting a “grudge match” with Faber, but the “California Kid” would have to earn it.

“He’s (Faber) in line for a number one contender fight. Frankie’s the number one contender. I said if you can win, I said, I wish you well, if you win, we’ll do it.”

So while Faber prepares for his May fight with Frankie Edgar, and Conor McGregor readies for his July clash with Jose Aldo, will the verbal brawl between McGregor and Faber ultimately boil over in the octagon? Only time — and the growing number of rude and snarky insults — will tell.

[Images by Jared Wickerham, Getty Images]