Jimmie Rivera’s chances of finding a replacement opponent for UFC 219 now look slim

By Tom Taylor - December 26, 2017

Originally, Streaking bantamweight contender Jimmie Rivera was expected to take on former champ Dominick Cruz at UFC 219 on December 30. Regrettably, though, Cruz was forced out of this fight with an injury.

Jimmie Rivera

From there, Cruz was replaced my the ever-dangerous John Lineker. Yet once again, bad luck struck, as Lineker was forced out of the fight just days ahead of time.

With Lineker out, Rivera began a frantic search for a replacement opponent, having trained through Thanksgiving and flown to Las Vegas over Christmas. And while it looked like he might meet fellow bantamweight contender Marlon Moraes at a TBD catchweight, things are now looking bleak in that regard.

While it seem like the two fighters were close to hashing something out for a last-minute UFC 219 fight, Rivera has seemed entirely pessimistic more recently.

Ariel Helwani also confirmed the chances of Jimmie Rivera’s finding a replacement opponent are slim.

If he doesn’t get a last-minute opponent for UFC 219, who would you like to see Jimmie Rivera fight next?

This article first appeared on BJPenn.com on 26/12/2017.


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Jimmie Rivera