Report: Jimmie Rivera vs. John Dodson in the works for UFC 228

Two of the very best bantamweights in the world are on the cusp of meeting this September at UFC 228, as former UFC title challenger John Dodson has a bout in the works against divisional contender Jimmie Rivera.

The potential 135-pound clash, which would take place at a location undetermined, was first reported by ESPN’s Brett Okamoto:

MMA Fighting’s Ariel Helwani followed that up with more information on the fight:

Rivera, 28, is coming off a crushing 33-second knockout defeat at the hands/feet of Brazilian title threat Marlon Moraes earlier this month. Before that, “El Terror” had racked off 20-straight wins (5-0 UFC) dating back to his days on the open mixed martial arts (MMA) circuit in 2009. Rivera is certainly worth more than being a first-round punching bag for Moraes, so it’s going to be interesting to see how the New Jersey native rebounds from his first loss in nearly a decade.

Dodson, 33, is coming off a split-decision win over Pedro Munhoz back at UFC 222. The former flyweight standout has gone 3-2 since moving back up to 135 pounds in 2016, but those two defeats came of the split-decision variety and against top-flight contenders Marlos Moraes and John Lineker. Dodson remains one of the very best fighters in the division and will have to prove it once again this September against “El Terror.”

At this time, the only other bout expected to go down at UFC 228 is a highly-volatile featherweight matchup pitting Mexican striker Yair Rodriguez against promising Russian dynamo Zabit Magomedsharipov.

Stick with Mania for more UFC 228 fight card news.