Jimmie Rivera is targeting bouts with two former Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) bantamweight title holders.
Rivera is coming off a unanimous decision victory over John Dodson at UFC 228. The two competed this past Saturday night (Sept. 8) inside the American Airlines Center in Dallas, Texas. While the fight was uneventful, “El Terror” was in cruise control and proved he’s right back in the mix despite the knockout loss to Marlon Moraes.
Jimmie Rivera Eyeing Bouts With Dominick Cruz & Cody Garbrandt
Now that Rivera is quickly back in the win column, he wants bouts that’ll get him closer to a title opportunity. Speaking to reporters backstage following his last victory, Rivera discussed fights that intrigue him (via MMAJunkie.com):
“Obviously my ideal is always to fight T.J. (Dillashaw for the title). I know he might be in the works for a fight, or the Henry (Cejudo) fight might happen. Other than that, Cruz. He said he was hurt last time; he ducked me. Get in there. I beat (Urijah) Faber and I would love to beat someone else from Team Alpha Male. I would love to fight Cody Garbrandt. I just want to keep moving forward.”
Cruz and Rivera were scheduled to meet back in December for UFC 219. That didn’t happen as “The Dominator” went down with an injury. As for Garbrandt, he’s coming off a first-round knockout loss in a rematch against T.J. Dillashaw. Rivera currently sits at the fifth spot on the official UFC bantamweight rankings so a bout with someone in the top five could be next for him.
The next bantamweight title challenger isn’t clear at this time. While many believe that Raphael Assuncao and Marlon Moraes are the frontrunners, a champion vs. champion bout between Henry Cejudo and Dillashaw can’t be ruled out these days.
Who would you put Jimmie Rivera up against next?
