UFC 181 picked up another bout with some drawing power on Wednesday evening.
No. 3-ranked bantamweight contender Urijah Faber will take on No. 11-ranked Francisco Rivera at the December 6 event.
UFC 181 already has been lined up with title fights in the lightweight and welterweight division respectively, a big heavyweight tilt and the debut of Holly Holm. Now Faber joins the mix to help the UFC close out the year with another stacked PPV card.
After failing to capture the UFC bantamweight belt, Faber got back in the win column with a July submission victory against Alex Caceres. Faber was then speculated to face off against Masanori Kanehara at UFC Fight Night 52, but he was pulled from that meeting.
Rivera is coming off a loss to Takeya Mizugaki in May, but he is 5-1 with one no contest in his last seven bouts. Four of those victories have come by way of TKO or KO. The last time Faber defeated an opponent by way of those means, it was 2006.
This bout is a huge opportunity for Rivera to make a statement within the 135-pound division, but he will almost certainly be a huge underdog in this fight. Faber has never lost a non-title bout.
The current titleholder is Faber protege TJ Dillashaw. He will defend his championship against Faber’s longtime rival, Dominick Cruz, at a later date. Meanwhile, former champion Renan Barao just signed on for a bout against Mitch Gagnon at UFC Fight Night 58, per MMA Fighting.
In the murky title picture, the California Kid can continue his bid for another title shot with a win, but it is unlikely he will earn a shot just by defeating the No. 11-ranked fighter in the division.
A win for Rivera would put him in line for a contender’s fight in 2015.
This is a thrilling addition to the already stacked fight card.
UFC 181 takes place at the Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas. The bout order has yet to be drawn up, so we’re yet to see if Faber lands on the PPV portion of the card or on the television prelims.
Bleacher Report will keep you up to date on all of the happenings with the UFC 181 fight card.
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