Veteran Urijah Faber earns thrilling 48-second KO in first fight since 2016

Urijah Faber, right, connects with a punch to knock down Ricky Simon. (Jeff Chiu/AP)

The California Kid became The Comeback Kid at UFC Fight Night on Saturday.

Stepping into the octagon for his first bout since December 2016 — and on home soil no less, with the event taking place in Sacramento, Calif. — 40-year-old Urijah Faber came up with an electrifying 48-second knockout to clinch the 35th win of his career.

Ricky Simon was on the receiving end of the finish, ending an eight-fight win streak (three in the UFC) for the 26-year-old.

The KO was Faber’s first since January 2007, against Joe Pearson during his WEC tenure, and the fastest of the Isla Vista, Calif., native’s career. It was also, incredibly, Faber’s first knockout in the UFC.

With the win in tow, the UFC Hall of Famer moves into a tie for the second-most wins by a bantamweight in UFC history, just one back of T.J. Dillashaw.

Needless to say, the MMA community was fired up about the ageless wonder’s performance:

Even the man on the other end of Faber’s KO victory showed the MMA legend respect after the historic showing:

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