Winner by split decision, @OfficialDurkin! #UFCLongIsland pic.twitter.com/ukFZIF8hIs
— UFC (@ufc) July 23, 2017
RIVERA vs. ALMEIDA
With his 20th consecutive win, Jimmie Rivera made a strong case for a bantamweight title shot as he won a three-round unanimous decision over Brazilian banger Thomas Almeida.
Scores were 29-28, 30-26 and 30-27, for the No. 4-ranked Rivera, now 21-1. The No. 9-ranked Almeida falls to 22-2.
New Jersey’s Rivera wasn’t the slightest bit intimidated by the prospect of trading blows with one of the biggest punchers in the division, and in fact, it was Rivera who struck first, knocking Almeida down with 3:10 remaining in the first round. Sao Paulo’s Almeida rose and locked up with Rivera to clear his head, but even after breaking, Rivera was winning the exchanges, and with a little over a minute left, he scored a second knockdown.
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By the second round, both men were bleeding from cuts over the eye, and Almeida began closing the scoring gap thanks to a flash knockdown and good takedown defense that allowed him to keep the fight standing.
Rivera stormed out of his corner for round three and slammed Almeida to the deck, completely changing the momentum of the fight. Almeida was able to get back to his feet, but Rivera made him pay with some hard knees before the two separated. Once at distance, Rivera regained control of the striking showdown, and two quick takedowns only added to his score total before a final surge from Almeida left the fans cheering at the horn.
