Jimmie Rivera Issues Warning To Dominick Cruz

It appears that former UFC bantamweight champion Dominick Cruz may have his next fight lined up.

Following his 20th straight win against Thomas Almeida at UFC on FOX 25, Jimmie Rivera is looking for a big fight. The rising contender called out Cruz at a post-fight media scrum in Long Island, New York over the weekend.

“Defend your spot or get out of the way,” Rivera told Cruz bluntly, per MMA Junkie’s Steven Marrocco and Matt Erickson.

Cruz has been out of action since he lost the title to breakout talent Cody Garbrandt at UFC 207. Despite the loss, he is still ranked as the official No. 1 contender. On the flip side, Rivera has opted to fight T.J. Dillashaw for the interim title.

“What I want next is either to fight T.J. for an interim belt if (champ) Cody (Garbrandt) is still hurt, or get Cruz off the bench and let’s fight,” Rivera told the media.

If you recall, Dillashaw was expected to face the current champion at UFC 213, but the bout has been postponed to an undisclosed date due to a back injury sustained by Garbrandt. Dillashaw lost the title to Cruz last year.

It’s become clear that Rivera is someone to look out for as he is one of the hottest prospects in the division and is hoping to climb one step closer to a title shot by beating Cruz or Dillashaw in the fall.