Former bantamweight champion Dominick Cruz has finally booked his next fight as he will face off with Jimmie Rivera at UFC 219 in Las Vegas on Dec. 30.
Cruz has been out of action since losing the bantamweight title to current champ Cody Garbrandt last December, but now he’s ready to make his return while facing one of the top 135-pound contenders in the world.
Rivera has gone undefeated during his run with the UFC, most recently dispatching Brazilian heavy-hitter Thomas Almeida and now he’s got his sights set on gold. If Rivera can get past Cruz, it’s going to be awfully hard to deny him a shot at the bantamweight belt.
HOLD UP!
Former champ @DominickCruz returns to face @JimmieRivera135 at #UFC219 @TMobileArena in Vegas | @Cyn_Calvillo faces @CarlaEsparza1 pic.twitter.com/kG4Cy4wxoc
— UFC (@ufc) September 27, 2017
In addition to Cruz vs. Rivera, a women’s strawweight matchup has also been confirmed for UFC 219 as former UFC champion Carla Esparza faces off with upstart contender Cynthia Calvillo.
Esparza last fought in June where she earned a unanimous decision win against Maryna Moroz as she looks to climb back into title contender.
As for Calvillo, the Team Alpha Male fighter has remained undefeated after bursting onto the scene earlier this year while racking up three wins in a row including a victory against Joanne Calderwood in July.
UFC 219 takes place on Dec. 30 at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.
