The former top-ranked UFC bantamweight Jimmie Rivera has found a new home with a fresh start for the combat sports veteran.
It was announced by his manager Malki Kawa of First Round Management that the New Yorker was signing with Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship. Kawa announced it on “The Schmo” on Monday but no details as far as contract length or opponent were disclosed during the interview.
Rivera had been a free agent for most of 2021 after last fighting Pedro Munhoz at UFC Vegas 20 back in February. His UFC record was 7-4, despite starting 5-0 as he wouldn’t find as much success against the top competition at bantamweight. He would get wins over Urijah Faber, Pedro Munhoz, and John Dodson, but the losses to current champions Aljamain Sterling and Petr Yan, plus contender Marlon Moraes, made his footing in the division less than stable.
Jimmie Rivera joins Mike Perry and Chad Mendes as some of the bigger names to have jumped ship from UFC to BKFC and, like the Perry signing, Rivera is still fairly young at just 32 years old. This isn’t more of the old guys jumping over for a payday but rather BKFC showing itself as a viable option to fighters.
Current bantamweight champion Johnny Bedford has been an active champion and the bantamweight division with BKFC has always been one of its more action packed ones. The addition of Rivera makes that even more true and also gives Bedford a name to watch as he works his way into the thick of things.
As mentioned, no debut date is being discussed or reported at this moment, but when Jimmie Rivera debuts for Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship he will be one to watch. So many former UFC fighters have found a career resurgence with the promotion and Rivera may be the next one to do just that.
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