Already one of the world's most recognized and popular mixed martial artist, former 6-time WEC featherweight champion Urijah Faber stepped onto the world's most popular MMA stage for the very first time back in March to battle a very game Eddie Wineland. 

While Wineland proved to be a worthy adversary, winning the first round of their 3-round fight, Faber displayed his championship pedigree by taking the next two and the ultimately the fight as well via unanimous decision.

For Faber though, the bigger victory might have been just getting to the UFC in the first place. The former UC Davis wrestling standout has wanted to be a part of the organization for a long time and finally got his opportunity with the recent absorption of the WEC into the UFC.

"There's a little bit of a different feel to it," Faber told MMA Fight Corner presented by FiveKnuckles.com. "The UFC is something that I've wanted to be a part of for a long time, and in my own mind I was a part of it with the WEC, but it was cool, and definitely a different feeling to get that first UFC fight under my belt.

With his first fight jitters out of the way, Faber will be able to focus squarely on his next opponent, UFC bantamweight champion Dominick Cruz.

Faber and Cruz are well acquainted. The two squared off at WEC 26 back in March of 2007 with Faber handing Cruz the only loss of his professional career via guillotine choke in the fights first frame. 

Cruz went on to drop from featherweight to bantamweight where he is undefeated in 7-straight fights over the past four years, displaying dominant boxing and wrestling skills to go with his non-stop motor in impressive wins over the likes of Joseph Benavidez, Brian Bowles and Scott Jorgensen.

So how does Faber see the fight going down this time?

"I just see myself winning," Faber said. "I don't know exactly how yet, but I think in all aspects of the game I'm going to have the upper hand. I'd like to get the finish. I always try to go in there and finish as soon as possible. If he takes me down he's in danger. He stands up he's in danger, so I'm looking forward to a knockdown dragout and just coming out on top.

"He's good. He's really good at what he does. He's sticks and moves and he's elusive and comes with different angles and things like that. He's also good at mixing up the takedowns with the punches, but the only time he's fought someone like me is when he fought me, and he lost. I'm on a different level and I'm going to go in there and prove it."

Asked to sum up Cruz in one word Faber was even more candid. 

"Immature," Faber said. "I was forced to spend some time with him this last week with the Marines in Camp Pendleton in San Diego and it was fun. He can actually take a joke, and we were at each other's throat a little bit at the beginning there. He's a decent guy, but he has a lot of growing up to do, and me beating him up is going to be part of that process."

The bad blood between these two appears to go back to their first fight, when at a charity poster signing, Faber claims, Cruz began signing his signature over Faber's face. Faber says now that the feud goes a bit deeper...