UFC 228 has its second fight, as Jimmie Rivera will reportedly meet John Dodson on the September card.
Not wanting to sit on the sidelines long after a knockout loss at the hands of Marlon Moraes, top bantamweight Jimmie Rivera is going right back at it. According to a report by MMA Fighting’s Ariel Helwani, Rivera will meet John Dodson at the upcoming UFC 228 this September. While a date for the event has been set, no venue or location for the PPV card has been announced thus far.
Rivera (21-2) had been on a twenty fight win streak prior to being finished by Marlon Moraes at UFC Utica earlier this month. Just inches away from a title shot, he’ll now need to rebuild, and will start that process against Dodson, a former two-time flyweight title challenger.
For John Dodson, UFC 228 will mark his first action since a split decision win over Pedro Munhoz at UFC 222 in March. Dodson (20–9) has struggled to stay consistent of late, trading wins and losses over his past seven fights. That goes right back to his flyweight days; the bout again Rivera will mark his sixth as a bantamweight in the UFC.
Realistically, were a third title shot at 125lbs not next to impossible given how entrenched Demetrious Johnson is in the weight class, Dodson might still be plugging away there.
UFC 228 takes place September 8, which happens to be the same day UFC women’s flyweight champ Nicco Montano says she’s ready to meet Valentina Shevchenko. Coincidence? To date, the only other fight announced for the card features Yair Rodriguez vs. Zabit Magomedsharipov.
