Jimmie Rivera Is Moving On From Marlon Moraes Fight, Looking to Rebook A Fight With Cruz

Jimmie Rivera not interested signing a bout agreement with Marlon Moraes.

Marlon Moraes signed a bout agreement recently and said he’ll be fighting Jimmie Rivera at UFC on FOX 28 on Feb 24. However, Rivera says that’s not likely because he’s scheduled to go on his honeymoon earlier that month.

Rivera was scheduled to face former Bantamweight champion Dominick Cruz at UFC 219 last month, but Cruz fell out with a broken arm. Rivera is hopeful the UFC will return to that matchup this spring.

Later Rivera accepted a replacement opponent, John Lineker, but then Lineker pulled from the bout during fight week with a tooth infection.

UFC found another option, Moraes (20-5), and Rivera accepted. He even agreed at a higher weight, due to the short notice. Eventually, Moraes, who had recently fought twice in the extent of one month, wasn’t available.

Both fighters going back and forth on social media trying to settle on a weight to fight at. They couldn’t make an agreement as Moraes says he was at around 165 lbs during fight week making it impossible for him to get to 145 lbs which was the highest weight discussed for the potential fight.

Moraes on a recent edition of The MMA Hour where he said, he has signed the deal and he expects Rivera to sign it, too.

“It’s done, it’s done,” Moraes said. “Yes. I’m already training.”

A few hours later, Jimmie Rivera joined the MMA Hour, said, he has no interest in signing the bout, and I was never agreed to fight on Feb 24.

“I was surprised,” Rivera said. “I had no idea what to say.”

As per Rivera, his manager Lloyd Pierson last spoke to the UFC was last Thursday about fighting Cody Garbrandt in January. But he received the bout agreement in the mail for Moraes at UFC on FOX 28.

Instead, Rivera plans on waiting to fight for a top contender 135-pounder, someone like Cody Garbrandt or Dominick Cruz.

“I’m gonna sit back, and I’m gonna spend time with my family, I’m gonna catch up on the holiday time that I missed, and I’m gonna go on my honeymoon with my wife,” Rivera said.

“I gave you a chance,” Rivera said of Moraes. “Now it’s time for better things. It’s funny, like I’m not trying to run from him, because I will have to fight him one day. But I’m gonna fight him when I’m defending the belt and he’s the contender. That’s for sure. Unless he gets up there as the No. 1-ranked guy, that’s something a little different.”

Marlon Moraes continues:

“I want to show this guy what I’m made of,” Moraes said. “I’m not a bum, I don’t pick opponents. I’m not scared to lose. Not a little bit.”

Jimmie Rivera is still pissed, his team verbally never agree to fight Marlon, how can they send me bout agreement.

“How they did the Marlon fight, I understand from their perspective about it,” Rivera said “I wish there was a better communication, because there wasn’t. I understand what they’re saying, but you’re not gonna give us any heads up?”

“I gave him options to fight me,” Rivera said of Moraes. “Now, he said no four times. Well, I’m gonna go forward. I think I’ve earned it. I’ve fought top people. I’m 5-0 in the UFC in the bantamweight division.”

Do you think Jimmie Rivera should fight Marlon Moraes? If not then who should he fight next?

Published on January 9, 2018 at 12:00 am
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