Jimmie Rivera
Jimmie Ernesto Rivera[5] (born June 29, 1989) is an American professional mixed martial artist of Puerto Rican and Italian descent, who competes in UFC's Bantamweight division. A professional competitor since 2007, he has formerly competed for Bellator, the World Series of Fighting, CFFC and King of the Cage, where he was the Bantamweight Champion. As of December 24, 2020, he is #9 in the UFC bantamweight rankings[6]
Jimmie Rivera | |
---|---|
Jimmie Rivera at UFC Fight Night 143 in Brooklyn, New York, United States | |
Born | James Ernesto Rivera June 29, 1989[1] Ramsey, New Jersey, United States |
Other names | El Terror |
Nationality | American |
Height | 5 ft 4 in (1.63 m)[2] |
Weight | 135 lb (61 kg; 9.6 st) |
Division | Bantamweight Featherweight |
Reach | 68 in (173 cm)[3] |
Stance | Orthodox |
Fighting out of | Manhattan, New York, United States |
Team | Team Tiger Schulmann |
Rank | 3rd degree black belt in Kyokushin Karate under Tiger Schulmann[4] |
Years active | 2007–present |
Mixed martial arts record | |
Total | 27 |
Wins | 23 |
By knockout | 4 |
By submission | 2 |
By decision | 17 |
Losses | 4 |
By knockout | 1 |
By decision | 3 |
Mixed martial arts record from Sherdog |
Background
A native of Ramsey, New Jersey, Rivera was a former Ramsey High School wrestler.[7]
Mixed martial arts career
Early career
A Tiger Schulmann MMA product, Jimmie Rivera started his career in 2007 when he was 18 years old. After compiling an undefeated 7–0 record as an amateur within only two years, he moved to professional mixed martial arts.[8]
As a professional, he fought only for New Jersey's promotion Ring of Combat before signing with Bellator in 2009.
Bellator Fighting Championships
Rivera made his debut on April 10, 2009 at Bellator 2 against Willie Gates. Rivera won via submission in the third round.[9]
Rivera faced Nick Garcia on June 12, 2009 at Bellator 11. He defeated Garcia via unanimous decision.[10]
King of the Cage
Rivera faced Abel Cullum on September 17, 2010 for the KOTC flyweight title. Rivera won via split decision (49-46 Rivera, 49-46 Rivera, 48-47 Cullum) after five rounds and became the new champion.[11]
Rivera made a title defense against Jared Papazian on February 3, 2011. After five rounds he won via unanimous decision and retained his belt.[12]
The Ultimate Fighter
Rivera appeared in the first episode of The Ultimate Fighter: Team Bisping vs. Team Miller. He lost via TKO in the second round against Dennis Bermudez during the entry round.[13]
Return to Ring of Combat
Rivera returned to ROC on June 15, 2012 against Justin Hickey for the bantamweight title. He won the title via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27) in a three-round match.[14]
Rivera defended his belt once against Joel Roberts on September 14, 2012.[15]
Rivera was expected to face Anthony Leone on November 18, 2011.[16] It was rescheduled to happen on April 27, 2012, but for undisclosed reasons the fight was scrapped.[17]
Second Bellator run
Rivera faced Jesse Brock on December 7, 2012 at Bellator 83. He won via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 29-28).[18]
Rivera faced Brian Kelleher on April 4, 2013 at Bellator 95. He won via unanimous decision (30-27, 29-28, 29-28).[19]
World Series of Fighting
Rivera faced Sidemar Honório on September 14, 2013 at WSOF 5.[20] He was able to come through after taking a significant amount of damage in the first round, and managed to recover in the second and third rounds using his strength and wrestling skills. Rivera won the fight via unanimous decision (30-27, 29-28, 29-28).[21]
Ultimate Fighting Championship
Rivera made his promotional debut and faced Marcus Brimage on July 18, 2015 at UFC Fight Night 72, replacing an injured Ian Entwistle.[22] He won the fight via KO in the first round.[23]
Rivera faced Pedro Munhoz on November 7, 2015 at UFC Fight Night 77.[24] He won the fight via split decision.[25]
Rivera faced Iuri Alcântara on January 30, 2016 at UFC on Fox 18.[26] He won the fight by unanimous decision.[27] The win also earned Rivera his first Fight of the Night bonus award.[28]
Rivera faced Urijah Faber on September 10, 2016 at UFC 203.[29] He won the fight by unanimous decision.[30]
Rivera was expected to face Bryan Caraway on January 15, 2017 at UFC Fight Night 103.[31] However, Caraway pulled out of the fight citing an injury, and Rivera rejected the replacement Marlon Vera due to the lack of rank and relevance in the division.[32]
Rivera faced Thomas Almeida on July 22, 2017 at UFC on Fox 25.[33] He won the fight by unanimous decision, extending his win streak to 20.[34]
Rivera was expected to face Dominick Cruz on December 30, 2017 at UFC 219. However Cruz suffered a broken arm in training and had to pull out of the fight, [35] and he was replaced by John Lineker.[36] On December 24, Lineker pulled out of the fight citing a tooth infection.[37] After a failed negotiation with Marlon Moraes in attempt to remain on the card, Rivera announced that he will not compete at the event.[38]
Rivera faced Marlon Moraes on June 1, 2018 in the main event at UFC Fight Night 131.[39] He lost the fight by knockout in the first round due to a head kick and punches. This marked the first time Rivera has been finished in his professional MMA career.
Rivera faced John Dodson on September 8, 2018 at UFC 228.[40] He won the fight via unanimous decision.[41]
Rivera faced Aljamain Sterling on February 17, 2019 at UFC on ESPN 1.[42] He lost the fight by unanimous decision.[43]
Rivera faced Petr Yan on June 8, 2019 at UFC 238.[44] He lost the fight via unanimous decision.[45]
Rivera was scheduled to face Marlon Vera on February 8, 2020 at UFC 247.[46] However, Rivera pulled out of the fight on January 23 citing an injury. Promotion officials have not announced whether or not Vera would remain on the card against a replacement, or if the pairing with Rivera would remain intact and rescheduled for a future event.[47]
Rivera faced Cody Stamann in a featherweight bout on July 16, 2020 at UFC on ESPN: Kattar vs. Ige.[48] He won the fight via unanimous decision.[49]
A rematch against Pedro Munhoz was scheduled on January 30, 2021 at UFC on ESPN 20.[50] On December 26, it was announced that the bout was moved to January 20, 2021 at UFC on ESPN 20.[51] The pairing was rescheduled once again in early January as they were moved to UFC 258 on February 13, 2021 due to undisclosed reasons.[52]
Championships and accomplishments
Mixed martial arts
- Ultimate Fighting Championship
- Fight of the Night (One time) vs. Iuri Alcântara
- Cage Fury Fighting Championships
- King of the Cage
- KOTC Flyweight (135 lb) Championship (One time)
- One successful title defense
- Ring of Combat
- ROC Bantamweight Championship (One time)
- One successful title defense
Mixed martial arts record
Professional record breakdown | ||
27 matches | 23 wins | 4 losses |
By knockout | 4 | 1 |
By submission | 2 | 0 |
By decision | 17 | 3 |
Res. | Record | Opponent | Method | Event | Date | Round | Time | Location | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Win | 23–4 | Cody Stamann | Decision (unanimous) | UFC on ESPN: Kattar vs. Ige | July 16, 2020 | 3 | 5:00 | Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates | Featherweight debut. |
Loss | 22–4 | Petr Yan | Decision (unanimous) | UFC 238 | June 8, 2019 | 3 | 5:00 | Chicago, Illinois, United States | |
Loss | 22–3 | Aljamain Sterling | Decision (unanimous) | UFC on ESPN: Ngannou vs. Velasquez | February 17, 2019 | 3 | 5:00 | Phoenix, Arizona, United States | |
Win | 22–2 | John Dodson | Decision (unanimous) | UFC 228 | September 8, 2018 | 3 | 5:00 | Dallas, Texas, United States | |
Loss | 21–2 | Marlon Moraes | KO (head kick and punches) | UFC Fight Night: Rivera vs. Moraes | June 1, 2018 | 1 | 0:33 | Utica, New York, United States | |
Win | 21–1 | Thomas Almeida | Decision (unanimous) | UFC on Fox: Weidman vs. Gastelum | July 22, 2017 | 3 | 5:00 | Uniondale, New York, United States | |
Win | 20–1 | Urijah Faber | Decision (unanimous) | UFC 203 | September 10, 2016 | 3 | 5:00 | Cleveland, Ohio, United States | |
Win | 19–1 | Iuri Alcântara | Decision (unanimous) | UFC on Fox: Johnson vs. Bader | January 30, 2016 | 3 | 5:00 | Newark, New Jersey, United States | Fight of the Night. |
Win | 18–1 | Pedro Munhoz | Decision (split) | UFC Fight Night: Belfort vs. Henderson 3 | November 7, 2015 | 3 | 5:00 | São Paulo, Brazil | |
Win | 17–1 | Marcus Brimage | KO (punches) | UFC Fight Night: Bisping vs. Leites | July 18, 2015 | 1 | 1:29 | Glasgow, Scotland | |
Win | 16–1 | Carson Beebe | KO (punch) | CFFC 48: Good vs. Burrell | May 9, 2015 | 1 | 0:16 | Atlantic City, New Jersey, United States | Defended the CFFC Bantamweight Championship. |
Win | 15–1 | Anthony Durnell | TKO (punch) | CFFC 43: Webb vs. Good | November 1, 2014 | 3 | 3:22 | Atlantic City, New Jersey, United States | Won the vacant CFFC Bantamweight Championship. |
Win | 14–1 | Cody Stevens | Decision (unanimous) | CFFC 35: Heckman vs. Makashvili | April 26, 2014 | 3 | 5:00 | Atlantic City, New Jersey, United States | |
Win | 13–1 | Sidemar Honório | Decision (unanimous) | WSOF 5 | September 14, 2013 | 3 | 5:00 | Atlantic City, New Jersey, United States | |
Win | 12–1 | Brian Kelleher | Decision (unanimous) | Bellator 95 | April 4, 2013 | 3 | 5:00 | Atlantic City, New Jersey, United States | Catchweight (140 lbs) bout. |
Win | 11–1 | Jesse Brock | Decision (unanimous) | Bellator 83 | December 7, 2012 | 3 | 5:00 | Atlantic City, New Jersey, United States | |
Win | 10–1 | Joel Roberts | Decision (unanimous) | Ring of Combat 42 | September 14, 2012 | 3 | 5:00 | Atlantic City, New Jersey, United States | Defended the Ring of Combat Bantamweight Championship. |
Win | 9–1 | Justin Hickey | Decision (unanimous) | Ring of Combat 41 | June 15, 2012 | 3 | 5:00 | Atlantic City, New Jersey, United States | Won the Ring of Combat Bantamweight Championship. |
Win | 8–1 | Jared Papazian | Decision (unanimous) | KOTC: Empire | February 3, 2011 | 5 | 5:00 | San Bernardino, California, United States | Defended the KOTC Flyweight (135 lbs) Championship. |
Win | 7–1 | Abel Cullum | Decision (split) | KOTC: No Mercy | September 17, 2010 | 5 | 5:00 | Mashantucket, Connecticut, United States | Won the KOTC Flyweight (135 lbs) Championship. |
Win | 6–1 | Carlos David | KO (punches) | Ring of Combat 29 | April 16, 2010 | 2 | 2:59 | Atlantic City, New Jersey, United States | |
Win | 5–1 | Claudio Ledesma | Decision (unanimous) | UCC 1: Merciless | March 19, 2010 | 3 | 5:00 | Jersey City, New Jersey, United States | |
Win | 4–1 | Nick Garcia | Decision (unanimous) | Bellator 11 | June 12, 2009 | 3 | 5:00 | Uncasville, Connecticut, United States | |
Win | 3–1 | Willie Gates | Submission (triangle choke) | Bellator 2 | April 10, 2009 | 3 | 3:17 | Uncasville, Connecticut, United States | |
Win | 2–1 | Tyler Venice | Technical Submission (rear-naked choke) | Ring of Combat 23 | February 20, 2009 | 2 | 1:13 | Atlantic City, New Jersey, United States | Bantamweight debut. |
Loss | 1–1 | Jason McLean | Decision (split) | Ring of Combat 22 | November 21, 2008 | 3 | 4:00 | Atlantic City, New Jersey, United States | Catchweight (150 lbs) bout. |
Win | 1–0 | Fernando Bernandino | Decision (unanimous) | Ring of Combat 21 | September 12, 2008 | 2 | 4:00 | Atlantic City, New Jersey, United States | Catchweight (150 lbs) bout. |
Mixed martial arts exhibition record
Exhibition record breakdown | ||
1 match | 0 wins | 1 loss |
By knockout | 0 | 1 |
Res. | Record | Opponent | Method | Event | Date | Round | Time | Location | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Loss | 0–1 | Dennis Bermudez | TKO (punches) | The Ultimate Fighter: Team Bisping vs. Team Miller | September 21, 2011 (airdate) | 2 | 1:40 | Las Vegas, Nevada, United States | Preliminary bout. |
See also
References
- Jimmie Rivera's profile Bellator.com
- "Fight Card - UFC Fight Night Bisping vs. Leites". UFC.com. Retrieved July 19, 2015.
- "Stats | UFC". ufcstats.com. Retrieved 2020-07-16.
- "Jimmie Rivera - Official UFC Fighter Profile". UFC.com. Archived from the original on August 22, 2015. Retrieved July 19, 2015.
- "MIXED MARTIAL ARTS RESULTS : SEASON 14 – THE ULTIMATE FIGHTER" (PDF). Boxing.nv.gov. Mandalay Bay Events Center, Las Vegas. June 7, 2011. Retrieved 26 January 2018.
- "Rankings | UFC". www.ufc.com. Retrieved 2020-12-25.
- https://www.northjersey.com/story/sports/boxing/2016/01/29/ufc-ramsey-native-jimmie-rivera-on-the-ufc-stage-at-prudential/94444068/
- Jimmie Rivera's mixed martial arts record Mixedmartialarts.com
- Bellator II live results by Craig Jolicoeur (Bleacherreport.com) on April 10, 2009
- Bellator XI results and play-by-play by Chris Nelson (Bloodyelbow.com) on June 13, 2009
- KOTC: “No Mercy” live play-by-play & results by Robert Sargent (MMArising.com) on September 17, 2010
- King of the Cage "Empire" results Archived 2011-03-17 at the Wayback Machine Kingofthecage.com
- Episode No. 1 recap: 'The Ultimate Fighter 14: Team Bisping vs. Team Miller' by Dann Stupp (MMAjunkie.com) on September 21, 2011
- Uriah Hall, Jimmie Rivera win titles at Ring of Combat 41 by Bob Badders (MMAdiehards.com) on June 16, 2012
- Jimmie Rivera retains 135-pound strap, Ed Gordon drops LHW belt at ROC 42 by Lutfi Sariahmed (Sherdog.com) on September 15, 2012
- Ring of Combat 38: Jimmie Rivera vs. Anthony Leone Tapology.com
- Ring of Combat 40: Anthony Leone vs. Jimmie Rivera Tapology.com
- Bellator 83 results: live play-by-play & updates Sherdog.com (December 7, 2012)
- Bellator 95 results: Curran vs. Shamhalaev by Mike Chiappetta (MMAfighting.com) on April 4, 2013
- "WSOF 5 lineup set with addition of Glenn vs. Rofi, Dugulubgov vs. Osbourne, more". mmajunkie.com. August 26, 2013.
- World Series of Fighting 5 results: Arlovski edges Kyle MMAjunkie.com (September 14, 2013)
- Staff (2015-07-01). "Jimmie Rivera replaces Entwistle, meets Marcus Brimage at UFC Fight Night 72". mmajunkie.com. Retrieved 2015-07-01.
- Steven Marrocco (2015-07-18). "UFC Fight Night 72 results: Jimmie Rivera shines in UFC debut, stops Marcus Brimage". mmajunkie.com. Retrieved 2015-07-18.
- Tristen Critchfield (2015-09-16). "Pedro Munhoz vs. Jimmie Rivera added to UFC Fight Night in Sao Paulo". sherdog.com. Retrieved 2015-09-16.
- Ben Fowlkes (2015-11-07). "UFC Fight Night 77 results: Jimmie Rivera takes split decision from Pedro Munhoz". mmajunkie.com. Retrieved 2015-11-07.
- Staff (2015-12-23). "UFC on FOX 18 gets two new bouts, one injury replacement". mmajunkie.com. Retrieved 2015-12-23.
- Ben Fowlkes (2016-01-30). "UFC on FOX 18 results: Jimmie Rivera decisions Iuri Alcantara in entertaining brawl". mmajunkie.com. Retrieved 2016-01-30.
- Staff (2016-01-30). "UFC on FOX 18 bonuses: Jimmie Rivera, Iuri Alcantara cash in for 'Fight of the Night'". mmajunkie.com. Retrieved 2016-01-30.
- Damon Martin (2016-07-12). "Urijah Faber meets Jimmie Rivera at UFC 203 in Cleveland". foxsports.com. Retrieved 2016-07-12.
- Damon Martin (2016-09-10). "Jimmie Rivera earns biggest career win with decision over Urijah Faber". foxsports.com. Retrieved 2015-09-10.
- Damon Martin (2016-11-29). "Jimmie Rivera vs. Bryan Caraway likely for UFC Fight Night in Phoenix". foxsports.com. Retrieved 2016-11-29.
- John Morgan (2017-01-08). "Jimmie Rivera withdraws from UFC Fight Night 103 after picking Marlon Vera over John Dodson". mmajunkie.com. Retrieved 2017-01-08.
- Mark La Monica (2017-05-09). "Jimmie Rivera vs. Thomas Almeida booked for UFC on Fox 25 on Long Island". newsday.com. Retrieved 2017-05-09.
- "UFC on FOX 25 results: Jimmie Rivera's winning streak at 20 after decision vs. Thomas Almeida". MMAjunkie. 2017-07-23. Retrieved 2017-07-23.
- Dana Becker (2017-09-27). "First three fights announced for UFC 219". fightline.com. Retrieved 2017-09-27.
- "John Lineker steps in to face Jimmie Rivera at UFC 219". MMA Fighting. Retrieved 2017-11-22.
- "John Lineker out of UFC 219 fight with Jimmie Rivera". MMA Fighting. Retrieved 2017-12-24.
- Staff (2017-12-26). "After Marlon Moraes drama, Jimmie Rivera apparently throws in towel on UFC 219". mmajunkie.com. Retrieved 2017-12-26.
- Ariel Helwani (2018-02-23). "Jimmie Rivera vs. Marlon Moraes in the works for UFN Utica main event". mmafighting.com. Retrieved 2018-02-23.
- "Jimmie Rivera vs John Dodson Set For UFC 228".
- "UFC 228 results: Jimmie Rivera takes tedious decision over John Dodson". MMAjunkie. 2018-09-09. Retrieved 2018-09-09.
- DNA, MMA. "Lang verwachte partij tussen Jimmie Rivera en Aljamain Sterling tijdens UFC Phoenix". Retrieved 2018-12-12.
- "UFC on ESPN 1 results: Aljamain Sterling scintillating, shuts out Jimmie Rivera". MMAjunkie. 2019-02-18. Retrieved 2019-02-18.
- Staff (2019-04-04). "Jimmie Rivera vs. Petr Yan targeted for UFC 238". MMAJunkie.com. Retrieved 2019-04-05.
- "UFC 238 results: Petr Yan nearly finishes Jimmie Rivera twice, calls for title shot". MMA Junkie. 2019-06-09. Retrieved 2019-06-09.
- Tristen Critchfield (2019-12-07). "Jimmie Rivera, Marlon Vera agree to bantamweight showdown at UFC 247". Sherdog.com. Retrieved 2019-12-10.
- Nolan King (2020-01-23). "Jimmie Rivera injured, out of UFC 247 fight vs. Marlon Vera". mmajunkie.com. Retrieved 2020-01-23.
- Mike Heck (2020-07-07). "Jimmie Rivera vs. Cody Stamann added to July 15 UFC event". mmafighting.com. Retrieved 2020-07-07.
- Doherty, Dan (2020-07-15). "UFC Fight Island 1 Results: Jimmie Rivera Wins Grueling Fight Against Cody Stamann". Cageside Press. Retrieved 2020-07-16.
- "Pedro Munhoz vs. Jimmie Rivera 2 added to UFC Fight Night on Jan. 30". MMA Junkie. 2020-11-21. Retrieved 2020-11-22.
- Aaron Malone (2020-12-23). "Mike Jackson makes UFC return following CM Punk win, Fight Island card scrapped - Fight announcement roundup". fightful.com. Retrieved 2020-12-26.
- Mike Heck and Guilherme Cruz (2021-01-07). "Pedro Munhoz vs. Jimmie Rivera rematch rescheduled for UFC 258". mmafighting.com. Retrieved 2021-01-07.
- "Lyman Good faces undefeated Jonavin Webb for CFFC Welterweight Championship at CFFC 43". CFFC.tv. October 21, 2014.
- C.J. Tuttle (November 1, 2014). "Good-Webb Welterweight Title Bout Ends in Controversial No Contest at CFFC 43". sherdog.com.
- Eddie Goldman (May 10, 2015). "CFFC 48 Official Weights, Results, Suspensions and Staff". adcombat.com.
- Sherdog.com. "Jimmie". Sherdog. Retrieved 2018-12-12.