Rivera outpoints veteran Faber for decision win at UFC 203

Jimmie Rivera repeated a feat only Dominick Cruz had accomplished previously: He completely befuddled Urijah Faber.

Rivera consistently beat Faber to the punch through three rounds to earn a unanimous decision at UFC 203 on Saturday. From the opening bell to the final horn, "El Terror" stuck to his forte against the most well-rounded and decorated bantamweight he's faced. Close the distance, land two to three strikes at a time, jump out of range, and repeat.

The tactic hasn't produced many show-stealing finishes, as 14 of Rivera's 20 wins have gone to the judges, but in convincingly besting one of the division's greatest, the New Jersey native, who hasn't lost in nearly eight years, could soon flirt with title contention.

Despite a 43-fight resume whose blemishes have mostly come in title fights, "The California Kid" looked utterly helpless against Rivera. Every strike he threw came a fraction of a second too late, with two strays - a low blow and an eye poke - momentarily halting the proceedings. Although he theoretically owned the grappling advantage, Faber stayed standing throughout the fight, a decision that netted him his first taste of back-to-back defeats.

After a lopsided fight that pitted the old guard against the new, Faber, 37, could have just entered the twilight of an otherwise illustrious career.