Two former champions have been added to fights scheduled for UFC 219, as Dominick Cruz meets Jimmie Rivera and Carla Esparza takes on Cynthia Calvillo.
Cruz (22-2) will have spent a year on the sidelines when he returns, as he dropped the bantamweight title to Cody Garbrandt last December. The defeat snapped a nine-year unbeaten run for “The Dominator,” who has battled injuries since 2011.
Rivera (21-1) pushed his win streak to 20 in a row with a decision win over Thomas Almeida in July. He’s also topped Urijah Faber and Iuri Alcantara since signing with the UFC.
Esparza (12-4), the first UFC strawweight champion, got back in the win column in June when she downed Maryna Moroz. Since dropping the belt to Joanna Jedrzejczyk, she has gone 2-1, with the loss being a split decision.
Calvillo (6-0) holds wins over Joanne Calderwood, Pearl Gonzalez and Amanda Cooper since signing with the UFC. She has finished four of her six career opponents.
UFC 219 closes out the year on December 30 from the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. These are the first two fights announced for the night.
