Jimmie Rivera Wants Catchweight Bout Against Top Prospect At UFC 219

ByAndrew Ravens
Jimmie Rivera

It’s been well documented that Jimmie Rivera was scheduled to take on former champion Dominick Cruz at this weekend’s UFC 219 event. Once Cruz suffered an injury, John Lineker stepped up to accept the fight against Rivera.

Just last week, it was reported that Lineker has also suffered an injury that has forced him off the card as well.

Now, Rivera is saying he’d be willing to fight in a 138-pound catchweight contest to make it happen against top prospect and former WSOF Champion Marlon Moraes.

“Marlon, let’s do the fight at 140,” Rivera said in a video posted on Twitter. “You said you wanted the fight. Got to be professional. I’m giving you four pounds. 140. Let me know.”

Moraes’ manager, Ali Abdelaziz, then made his feelings known on the 138-pound offer quite clear on Twitter by writing the following:

Unfortunately, It seems negotiations aren’t exactly heading in the right direction.

“Merry Christmas everybody! @JimmieRivera135 now you fight on my terms. You turn down fight with me two times now I’m ready to fight you buddy on my terms not your terms I’m going to remind you of old memories you know what I’m sayin @danawhite @seanshelby @Mickmaynard2.”

UFC 219 is set to take place on Saturday, December 30, 2017, at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada. The main card will air on pay-per-view at 10 p.m. ET while the preliminary card will air on FOX Sports 1 at 8 p.m. ET and the promotion’s streaming service, UFC Fight Pass, at 7 p.m. ET.

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Cris Cyborg vs. Holly Holm for the UFC female featherweight title will serve as the headliner while Khabib Nurmagomedov vs. Edson Barboza in a lightweight bout will serve as the co-main event. Rounding out the five-bout card is Jimmie Rivera vs. TBA in a bantamweight bout, Carla Esparza vs. Cynthia Calvillo in a women’s strawweight bout, and Carlos Condit vs. Neil Magny in a welterweight bout.

MAIN CARD (PPV/10 p.m. ET)

UFC Female Featherweight Championship: Cris Cyborg (c) vs. Holly Holm

Lightweight: Khabib Nurmagomedov vs. Edson Barboza

Bantamweight: Jimmie Rivera vs. TBA

Strawweight: Carla Esparza vs. Cynthia Calvillo

Welterweight: Carlos Condit vs. Neil Magny

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PRELIMINARY CARD (FOX Sports 1/8 p.m. ET)

Light Heavyweight: Michal Oleksijczyk vs. Khalil Rountree

Lightweight: Dan Hooker vs. Marc Diakiese

Featherweight: Myles Jury vs. Rick Glenn

Flyweight: Louis Smolka vs. Matheus Nicolau

PRELIMINARY CARD (UFC Fight Pass/7 p.m. ET)

Middleweight: Marvin Vettori vs. Omari Akhmedov

Flyweight: Tim Elliott vs. Mark De La Rosa

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Andrew Ravens has been writing about combat sports since 2013 and has been a fan for over ten years! Andrew brings a different style to his work with an insider look into the fighters themselves.

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