Jimmie Rivera wants to ensure that there’s new blood at the top of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) bantamweight ladder.
Rivera is on a mission to knock off Cody Garbrandt and Dominick Cruz from their positions in the bantamweight division. For a while now, the 135-pound division has been a three-way dance between champion T.J. Dillashaw, Garbrandt, and Cruz. Raphael Assuncao and Marlon Moraes have begun to separate themselves from other 135 pounders and either man can be next in line for a shot at gold if Henry Cejudo doesn’t get his “super fight.”
Jimmie Rivera Wants to Eliminate Garbrandt & Cruz From UFC Title Contention
During a recent appearance on BJ Penn Radio, Rivera talked about wanting help from Aljamain Sterling to take out “No Love” and “The Dominator:”
“I hope to find out this week what’s next. Some of the things Sterling said, he was kind of downgrading my fight with Dodson, but then he was saying some stuff that I did like. I do agree, if Sterling wants Cruz, I think Sterling should get Cruz and I get Cody or somebody like that. Let’s break up that trifecta going on where it’s always TJ, Cody, and Cruz. I think that’s bullsh*t, let’s get in there some new people, and break it up, and let’s do it. I don’t think Cruz deserves a title shot. I think he needs to fight one time and get a win to get a title shot. Sterling wants to take that, and if Cody wants to get back in there, I’d like to fight him. That’d be a great fight. We’re kind of just enemies.”
Rivera recently rebounded from his knockout loss to Marlon Moraes. “El Terror” defeated John Dodson via unanimous decision in a bout that was mostly one-sided. Time will tell who Rivera ends up sharing the Octagon with next.
Do you believe Jimmie Rivera has what it takes to get in UFC bantamweight title contention?
