UFC bantamweight Irwin Rivera has been arrested in Palm Beach, Florida, on two counts of attempted murder. He is currently being held without bond. Eric Kowal of MyMMANews.com was the first to report the news.
Receiving information that #UFC fighter Irwin Rivera has been detained by police after allegedly stabbing sisters. More to come.
— Eric Kowal – MyMMANews.com (@MyMMANews) January 7, 2021
Irwin Rivera Facing Attempted Murder Charges
Rivera’s sisters, aged 22 and 33, were found with multiple stab wounds earlier today. Although initial reports indicated they had died as a result, they are in fact alive and recovering in a hospital. Rivera fled the scene, but was found by police around 7AM local time after one of his sisters reported his involvement. When police found Rivera, he reportedly told police that he “killed his sisters”, and did so for a “higher power”. Moreover, the incident report says Rivera stabbed them while they were asleep with a “brass knuckle knife”.
Rivera’s manager Ali Abdelaziz of Dominance MMA indicated that mental health issues are likely at play. The investigation is ongoing and evidence is being gathered, with necessary actions planned at the conclusion of it.
Irwin Rivera in the UFC
Irwin Rivera, a 31 year old former bantamweight champion for Titan FC, made his UFC debut in May of last year against Giga Chikadze. He was picked apart and defeated via unanimous decision in that fight, but rebounded with a split decision victory over Ali AlQaisi that August. The following month, he dropped a split decision to Andre Ewell to bring his UFC record to 1-2. He was scheduled to face Ray Rodriguez in March, but that fight has rightfully been scrapped. The Sanford MMA-trained Rivera already had a tough path to keeping a spot in the UFC, especially given the UFC’s promise to make drastic roster cuts. In light of these charges, expect to see Irwin Rivera removed from the UFC roster in the not-too-distant future.
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