A bantamweight battle between Top 10 ranked fighters Marlon Moraes and Jimmie Rivera is expected to headline the UFC’s inaugural trip to Utica, N.Y.
Moraes vs. Rivera could easily be a fight that determines the next bantamweight contender, as Moraes and Rivera take center stage at UFC Fight Night 130 on June 1. MMAWeekly.com sources confirmed the bout first reported by MMAFighting.
Moraes (20-5-1) is a former World Series of Fighting champion, who is 15-1 in his past 16 bouts, only stumbling against perennial bantamweight contender Raphael Assuncao. He picked up in the UFC right where he left off with WSOF, quickly becoming a fan favorite with epic fights with Assuncao, John Dodson, and Aljamain Sterling.
Rivera (21-1) only ever lost in the second fight of his career. Doing the math, he is on a 20-fight winning streak and has been angling hard for a shot at the belt. If he defeats Moraes, who is ranked ahead of him, could easily push him into a title fight.
