Rivera refocusing on Cruz, Garbrandt after UFC 219 fiasco

Jimmie Rivera just wants to go back to the way things were a few months ago.

The bantamweight contender's biggest fight yet fell through when Dominick Cruz dropped out of UFC 219 with a broken arm in the fall. Then he lost his spot on the bill altogether when replacement opponent John Lineker pulled out and his subsequent dealings with Marlon Moraes went nowhere.

A February date with Moraes at UFC on FOX 28 was later posited, but Rivera will instead enjoy the honeymoon he's already postponed twice before fighting either Cruz or former champ Cody Garbrandt in the spring.

"I don't ask for much, but I think I've proven that I deserve to fight the top contenders like Dominick or (Garbrandt)," Rivera told ESPN's Brett Okamoto.

Rivera says he wasn't compensated for the UFC 219 debacle and initially asked to meet Moraes at next week's UFC 220 in Boston, but the Brazilian's heavy workload in late 2017 reportedly wouldn't allow him to make the short turnaround. While the bantamweights' bickering has upped the interest in a clash between them, Rivera aims to get back in the saddle against an opponent that could bring him closer to title contention - and he doesn't think Moraes fits the bill.

"I know people love to say, 'You're scared.' I have 22 fights. I don't fear anybody. But I have to do what's best for me," Rivera said.

"Is Marlon going to get me a title shot? No. There's no such thing as a guaranteed title shot in the UFC, which I understand. It's a business. I don't dwell on that. But I know that a lot of people are going to want to see me fight for a belt if I beat Cruz or Garbrandt. I was supposed to get that fight. Let's stick to that."

Rivera last improved his promotional record to 5-0 with a unanimous decision over Thomas Almeida at UFC on FOX 25 in July.