Francisco Rivera (fighter)

Francisco Rivera Jr. (born October 8, 1981) is an American mixed martial artist who last competed in the Bantamweight division of the UFC. A professional since 2008, he has also competed for the WEC and Tachi Palace Fights. Rivera is known for his heavy hands and wild fighting style.

Francisco Rivera
Born (1981-10-08) October 8, 1981
Whittier, California, United States
Other namesCisco
ResidenceBuena Park, California, United States
NationalityAmerican
Height5 ft 9 in (1.75 m)[1]
Weight135 lb (61 kg; 9.6 st)
DivisionBantamweight
Featherweight
Reach70 in (180 cm)[1]
Fighting out ofBuena Park, California, United States
TeamUnited Mixed Martial Arts
All In MMA[2]
CSW[2]
Years active2008–present
Mixed martial arts record
Total19
Wins11
By knockout8
By decision3
Losses7
By knockout1
By submission3
By decision3
No contests1
Other information
Mixed martial arts record from Sherdog

Background

Rivera graduated from Buena Park High School where he excelled in football[3] eventually playing for Orange Coast College, until his foot was broken.[4]

Mixed martial arts career

World Extreme Cagefighting

Rivera made his WEC debut replacing an injured Josh Grispi against Erik Koch at WEC 52.[5] He lost the fight via TKO in the first round.

Ultimate Fighting Championship

On October 28, 2010, World Extreme Cagefighting merged with the Ultimate Fighting Championship. As part of the merger, most WEC fighters were transferred into the UFC.[6]

Rivera was expected to drop to Bantamweight and face Takeya Mizugaki on March 3, 2011 at UFC Live: Sanchez vs. Kampmann.[7] However, Rivera was forced out of the bout with an injury and replaced by promotional newcomer Reuben Duran.[8]

Rivera faced Reuben Duran on June 4, 2011 at The Ultimate Fighter 13 Finale.[9] He lost the fight via submission in the third round and was subsequently released from the promotion.

Return to the UFC

Following two emphatic first round stoppages on the regional circuit, Rivera was re-signed by the UFC to face Alex Soto on May 15, 2012 at UFC on Fuel TV: Korean Zombie vs. Poirier, replacing Azamat Gashimov who was removed from the bout.[10] Rivera won the fight via unanimous decision (30–27, 30–27, 30–27).[11]

Rivera was expected to replace Edwin Figueroa against Ken Stone on June 22, 2012 at UFC on FX 4.[12] However, Rivera was forced out of the bout with an injury and replaced by Dustin Pague.[13]

Rivera faced Roland Delorme on July 21, 2012 at UFC 149.[14] Rivera defeated Delorme via first-round KO. However, Rivera later failed his post-fight drug test for an over-the-counter stimulant and the win was overturned to a No Contest.[15]

After being clipped twice in the first round, Rivera rallied to defeat Edwin Figueroa on February 2, 2013 at UFC 156 in the second round, staggering him before getting a TKO stoppage.[16][17]

Rivera was expected to face Hugo Viana on April 20, 2013 at UFC on Fox 7.[18] However, Rivera was forced out of the bout with an injury and replaced by T.J. Dillashaw.[19]

Rivera was expected to face George Roop on October 19, 2013 at UFC 166.[20] However, the pairing was shifted to November 6, 2013 at UFC Fight Night 31.[21] He won the fight via TKO in the second round.[22]

Rivera was expected to face Raphael Assunção at UFC 170.[23] However, Rivera was forced out of the bout due to injury.[24]

Rivera faced Takeya Mizugaki on May 24, 2014 at UFC 173.[25] He lost the fight via unanimous decision.[26]

Rivera faced Urijah Faber on December 6, 2014 at UFC 181.[27] Rivera lost the fight via second round submission. However, the ending was controversial as Faber stunned Rivera with an eyepoke during a standup exchange. The eyepoke went unnoticed by the referee, but immediately preceded the fight ending submission.[28] Rivera's management team indicated that they planned to appeal the result in hopes that it would be changed to a no contest, and hoped that the UFC could schedule a rematch with Faber.[29] Ultimately, the NSAC upheld the result of a submission victory for Faber.[30]

Rivera faced Alex Caceres on June 6, 2015 at UFC Fight Night 68.[31] He won the fight via knockout in the first round.[32]

Rivera faced John Lineker on September 5, 2015 at UFC 191.[33] He lost the fight via submission in the first round. The wild slugfest earned both participants Fight of the Night honors.[34][35]

Rivera faced Brad Pickett on February 27, 2016 at UFC Fight Night 84.[36] He lost the back-and-forth fight via split decision.[37]

Rivera next faced Érik Pérez on July 30, 2016 at UFC 201.[38] He lost the fight via unanimous decision.[39]

Rivera receive a four-year USADA suspension for testing positive for a banned substance clenbuterol, collected from an out of competition sample on July 23, 2016.[40] He was subsequently released from the promotion.[41]

Post-UFC career

Rivera was given a license to compete in California, and was scheduled to fight Trevin Jones at LXF 6 on March 20, 2020, but the event was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.[41][42]

Rivera then faced Ryan Lilley at XMMA 8 on January 30, 2021.[43] He won the fight via first-round knockout.[44]

Championships and achievements

Mixed martial arts record
Professional record breakdown
20 matches 12 wins 7 losses
By knockout 9 1
By submission 0 3
By decision 3 3
No contests 1
Res. Record Opponent Method Event Date Round Time Location Notes
Win 12–7 (1) Ryan Lilley TKO (punches) XMMA: Vick vs Fialho January 30, 2021 1 4:03 West Palm Beach, Florida, United States Catchweight (140 lbs) bout.
Loss 11–7 (1) Érik Pérez Decision (unanimous) UFC 201 July 30, 2016 3 5:00 Atlanta, Georgia, United States
Loss 11–6 (1) Brad Pickett Decision (split) UFC Fight Night: Silva vs. Bisping February 27, 2016 3 5:00 London, England
Loss 11–5 (1) John Lineker Submission (guillotine choke) UFC 191 September 5, 2015 1 2:08 Las Vegas, Nevada, United States Fight of the Night.
Win 11–4 (1) Alex Caceres KO (punches) UFC Fight Night: Boetsch vs. Henderson June 6, 2015 1 0:21 New Orleans, Louisiana, United States
Loss 10–4 (1) Urijah Faber Submission (bulldog choke) UFC 181 December 6, 2014 2 1:34 Las Vegas, Nevada, United States
Loss 10–3 (1) Takeya Mizugaki Decision (unanimous) UFC 173 May 24, 2014 3 5:00 Las Vegas, Nevada, United States
Win 10–2 (1) George Roop TKO (punches) UFC: Fight for the Troops 3 November 6, 2013 2 2:20 Fort Campbell, Kentucky, United States
Win 9–2 (1) Edwin Figueroa TKO (punches) UFC 156 February 2, 2013 2 4:20 Las Vegas, Nevada, United States
NC 8–2 (1) Roland Delorme NC (overturned) UFC 149 July 21, 2012 1 4:19 Calgary, Alberta, Canada Originally a KO (punches) win for Rivera; overturned after he tested positive for ephedra.
Win 8–2 Alex Soto Decision (unanimous) UFC on Fuel TV: Korean Zombie vs. Poirier May 15, 2012 3 5:00 Fairfax, Virginia, United States
Win 7–2 Antonio Duarte KO (punches) Tachi Palace Fights 12 March 9, 2012 1 1:15 Lemoore, California, United States
Win 6–2 Brad McDonald KO (punches) TPF 11: Redemption December 2, 2011 1 0:40 Lemoore, California, United States
Loss 5–2 Reuben Duran Submission (rear-naked choke) The Ultimate Fighter: Team Lesnar vs. Team dos Santos Finale June 4, 2011 3 1:57 Las Vegas, Nevada, United States Bantamweight debut.
Loss 5–1 Erik Koch TKO (head kick and punches) WEC 52 November 11, 2010 1 1:36 Las Vegas, Nevada, United States
Win 5–0 Fernando Bernstein TKO (punches) Called Out MMA 2 January 24, 2010 1 0:30 Ontario, California, United States
Win 4–0 Aaron Arana Decision (majority) Called Out MMA 1 August 15, 2009 3 5:00 Ontario, California, United States
Win 3–0 Johnny Gomez Decision (unanimous) Call To Arms 1 May 16, 2009 3 5:00 Ontario, California, United States
Win 2–0 Chris Drumm KO (punches) California Xtreme Fighting October 30, 2008 1 0:46 El Monte, California, United States
Win 1–0 Ray Cox KO (punches) CXF: Uprising in Upland June 14, 2008 1 0:52 Upland, California, United States

See also

References
  1. "Fight Card – UFC Fight Night Boetsch vs. Henderson". UFC.com. Retrieved June 5, 2014.
  2. UFC 156's Cisco Rivera talks work ethic, tattoos, Erik Paulson at CSW & Eddie Cha at All-In MMA. January 27, 2013 – via YouTube.
  3. "Francisco Rivera Buena Park Alum". Archived from the original on 2014-09-10. Retrieved 2014. Check date values in: |accessdate= (help)
  4. "Francisco R. OCC Alum". Retrieved 2014. Check date values in: |accessdate= (help)
  5. "Erik Koch to Stay on WEC 52 Card, Face Newcomer Francisco Rivera". mmafighting.com. 2010-11-03.
  6. "UFC and WEC set to merge in 2011; events to air on Versus and Spike TV". mmajunkie.com. October 28, 2010. Archived from the original on 2010-10-31.
  7. "Takeya Mizugaki Faces Francisco Rivera at UFC on Versus 3 March 3". MMAweekly.com. 2010-12-17.
  8. "Newcomer Reuben Duran signs on to face Takeya Mizugaki at UFC on Versus 3". mmajunkie.com. February 15, 2011.
  9. "Reuben Duran vs. Francisco Rivera slotted for The Ultimate Fighter 13 Finale". mmajunkie.com. March 12, 2011.
  10. "Francisco Rivera replaces Azamat Gashimov, faces Alex Soto at UFC on FUEL TV 3". mmajunkie.com. May 1, 2012.
  11. "UFC on FUEL TV 3 results: Francisco Rivera outpowers Alex Soto, earns decision win". mmajunkie.com. May 5, 2012.
  12. Martin, Damon (June 6, 2012). "Francisco Rivera vs. Ken Stone Set for UFC on FX 4". mmaweekly.com.
  13. "Dustin Pague in for injured Francisco Rivera meets Ken Stone at UFC on FX 4". mmajunkie.com. June 15, 2012. Archived from the original on June 19, 2012.
  14. "Roland Delorme vs. Francisco Rivera slated for UFC 149 in Calgary". mmajunkie.com. June 19, 2012. Archived from the original on June 21, 2012.
  15. "UFC 149 wins for Riddle, Rivera overturned to no contests after positive drug tests". mmajunkie.com. October 20, 2012. Archived from the original on October 22, 2012.
  16. "Edwin Figueroa-Francisco Rivera booked for UFC 156 in February". mmajunkie.com. December 12, 2012.
  17. Tim Burke (2013-02-02). "UFC 156 results: Francisco Rivera stops Edwin Figueroa late in the second round". bloodyelbow.com. Retrieved 2013-02-02.
  18. Ken Pishna (March 5, 2013). "Francisco Rivera and Hugo Viana Agree to UFC on Fox 7 Bantamweight Battle". mmaweekly.com.
  19. Matt Erickson (2013-03-22). "T.J. Dillashaw replaces Francisco Rivera, meets Hugo Viana at UFC on FOX 7". mmajunkie.com. Retrieved 2013-03-22.
  20. Staff (August 4, 2013). "George Roop vs. Francisco Rivera joins stacked UFC 166 lineup". mmajunkie.com. Retrieved August 4, 2013.
  21. Staff (2013-08-23). "Rivera vs. Roop to UFC Fight Night 31". MMAJunkie.com. Retrieved 2013-08-23.
  22. Steven Marrocco (2013-11-06). "UFC Fight Night 31 results, photos: Francisco Rivera swarms, stops George Roop". mmajunkie.com. Retrieved 2013-11-06.
  23. Matt Erickson. "Raphael Assuncao meets Francisco Rivera at UFC 170 in Las Vegas". MMAjunkie.com. Retrieved 2013-12-18.
  24. "Broken hand knocks Francisco Rivera from UFC 170 fight with Raphael Assuncao". mmajunkie.com. February 3, 2014.
  25. John Morgan (2014-03-28). "Francisco Rivera steps in to fight Takeya Mizugaki at UFC 173". mmajunkie.com. Retrieved 2014-03-28.
  26. Steven Marrocco (2014-05-24). "UFC 173 results, photos: Takeya Mizugaki tops Francisco Rivera in slugfest". mmajunkie.com. Retrieved 2014-05-24.
  27. Staff (2014-10-15). "Urijah Faber meets Francisco Rivera at UFC 181 in Las Vegas". mmajunkie.com. Retrieved 2014-10-15.
  28. Tristen Critchfield (2014-12-07). "Urijah Faber wasn't initially aware eye poke led to victory over Rivera at UFC 181". sherdog.com. Retrieved 2014-12-07.
  29. Marc Raimondi (2014-12-07). "Francisco Rivera will appeal submission loss to Urijah Faber due to eye poke". sherdog.com. Retrieved 2014-12-07.
  30. Brent Brookhouse (2015-02-17). "NSAC upholds UFC 181's Urijah Faber vs. Francisco Rivera result despite eye-poke". mmajunkie.com. Retrieved 2015-02-17.
  31. Damon Martin (2015-04-14). "Francisco Rivera vs. Alex Caceres joins UFC Fight Night in New Orleans". foxsports.com. Retrieved 2015-04-14.
  32. Damon Martin (2015-06-06). "Francisco Rivera needs just 21 seconds to finish Alex Caceres". foxsports.com. Retrieved 2015-06-06.
  33. Staff (2015-07-15). "Demetrious Johnson vs. John Dodson II headlines UFC 191 on September 5 in Las Vegas". themmareport.com. Retrieved 2015-07-15.
  34. Ben Fowlkes (2015-09-05). "UFC 191 results, highlights: John Lineker taps Francisco Rivera in first after crazy slugfest". mmajunkie.com. Retrieved 2015-09-05.
  35. Tristen Critchfield (2015-09-05). "UFC 191 Bonuses: John Lineker, Francisco Rivera garner $50K for wild slugfest". sherdog.com. Retrieved 2015-09-05.
  36. Staff (2016-01-22). "Francisco Rivera in for Henry Briones to meet Brad Pickett at UFC Fight Night 84". mmajunkie.com. Retrieved 2016-01-22.
  37. Dave Doyle (2016-02-27). "UFC Fight Night 84 results: Brad Pickett takes questionable decision from Francisco Rivera". mmafighting.com. Retrieved 2016-02-27.
  38. Tristen Critchfield (2015-05-24). "Bantamweights Erik-Perez, Francisco Rivera to clash at UFC 201". sherdog.com. Retrieved 2016-05-24.
  39. Brent Brookhouse (2016-07-30). "UFC 201 results: Erik Perez tops Francisco Rivera by decision in unusual brawl". mmajunkie.com. Retrieved 2016-07-30.
  40. "USADA hands Francisco Rivera four-year suspension". MMAjunkie. 2018-01-20. Retrieved 2018-01-20.
  41. Farah Hannoun (April 22, 2020). "With USADA suspension nearing completion, Francisco Rivera eyes final UFC run". mmajunkie.com.
  42. "Trevin Jones vervangt Mark Striegl aanstaande zaterdag tegen Timur Valiev tijdens UFC on ESPN 15". mmadna.nl. August 20, 2020.
  43. Nolan King (January 18, 2021). "Ex-UFC fighter Francisco Rivera booked to compete in first fight since 2016 USADA suspension". MMAjunkie.com.
  44. Ben Duffy (January 31, 2021). "Andre Fialho Brutalizes James Vick in XMMA Headliner". Sherdog.
  45. Jordan Breen (January 5, 2013). "Sherdog.com's 2012 All-Violence Team". Sherdog.
  46. Jordan Breen (January 12, 2014). "2013 All-Violence Third Team". Sherdog.
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