Jimmie Rivera won’t be fighting next weekend after all.
Less than a week ago, the top UFC bantamweight contender was scheduled to face Bryan Caraway in the opening main card bout at UFC Fight Night 103 on Jan. 15. “Kid Lightning” was removed from the card Thursday due to injury, and a replacement was immediately sought.
Marlon Vera agreed to fight Rivera, who was initially open to the short notice fight as well. The bout was soon after made official by the UFC, however, Rivera later retracted his agreement to fight “Chito.”
Rivera turned the replacement opponent down for various reasons. At No. 6 in the official UFC bantamweight rankings, he feels that he would have very little to gain in a fight with the The Ultimate Fighter: Latin America alum, and that he would outclass his opponent in a big way.
“My coach and I discussed that it wouldn’t be a fair fight for the guy,” Rivera told MMAFighting.com’s Ariel Helwani. “I’m not bullying some guy who wins some and loses some. I want to fight the best of the best. I trained for Caraway, so either I wait for him to get better or fight someone at the very top of the weight class.
“All I ask, if it’s going to be replacement, give me someone who’s going to benefit me. If I fight Vera, it makes me look like a bully and I teach my kids not to be a bully. Plus, he’s got a daughter that he’s trying to make money to get her surgery done. I got a heart man, I can’t stand there and stop that.”
UFC officials have not confirmed the cancellation of Rivera vs. Vera as of this writing.