Fight Announcement: Urijah Faber vs. Jimmie Rivera Added To UFC 203
After suffering a disappointing loss to reigning bantamweight champion and long-time rival Dominick Cruz at last June’s UFC 199, Urijah Faber’s fighting future was unclear, but it looks as if we haven’t seen the end of “The California Kid” and he is set to return to action at September 10’s UFC 203 against No. 14-ranked Jimmie Rivera.
UFC executive Dave Sholler announced the news via his official Twitter account:
Urijah Faber versus Jimmie Rivera at UFC 203 in Cleveland is a done deal. Great fight.
— Dave Sholler (@Sholler_UFC) July 12, 2016
Prior to his loss against Cruz, Faber had won three of his last four bouts including victories over the likes of Alex Caceras, Francisco Rivera, and Frankie Saenz. “The California Kid”, who currently sits at No. 2 in the divisional rankings, will look to get back on track come September.
Rivera, on the other hand, has won all three of his Octagon bouts to date and has established himself as a rising prospect in the division. The 27-year-old New Jersey native is coming off of a “Fight of The Night” win over Iuri Alcantara last January, and will undoubtedly be facing his toughest test when he meets Faber.
UFC 203 is set to be headlined by a heavyweight title clash between defending champion and hometown hero Stipe Miocic and legendary kickboxer Alistair “The Reem” Overeem.