John Dodson wants to fight Jimmie Rivera in Phoenix
Former flyweight contender John Dodson is looking to jump in and fight Jimmie Rivera on short notice at UFC Fight Night in Phoenix, AZ.
When news broke earlier this week that UFC bantamweight contender Bryan Caraway had suffered an injury and would not be able to fight as scheduled, there was one fighter who was interested. John Dodson, who spent most of his career it flyweight is now looking to make a run at the 135-pound title.
He spoke out on Twitter after learning of Caraway’s injury and expressed interest in taking the fight against Jimmie Rivera. This fight would be taking place in just 9 days at UFC Fight Night in Phoenix, AZ on January 15. The card is headlined by the return of former champ B.J. Penn fighting against Yair Rodriguez.
John Dodson (18-8) is looking to make a run to the top of the UFC bantamweight division. After failing to capture flyweight gold several times, the 32-year-old fighter chose to move up in weight to avoid becoming stagnant in the 125-pound division. Dodson was unable to beat the 125-pound king Demetrious Johnson twice before deciding to make the move.
@jimmierivera135 I hear you need an opponent next week for #UFCPhoenix #LetsDoThis you in? @ufc @danawhite @seanshelby
— John Dodson III (@JohnDodsonMMA) January 5, 2017
After coming to bantamweight Dodson was ranked in the top 10, but would need to prove himself at the heavier weight before rising to the top five. His last two fights in the UFC were in the new division, where he won a very impressive fight over Manny Gamburyan, before losing a split decision to No. 3 ranked John Lineker.
Jimmie Rivera (20-1) is currently ranked sixth in the division. His most recent win over UFC veteran Urijah Faber showed that Rivera was a real threat to the entire division. He has won four straight since coming to the UFC. There is no word at this time whether Rivera will accept this fight at this time.
More from FanSided
This article originally appeared on 
