Rivera-Duran Targeted for June 4 ‘TUF 13’ Finale
Mike Whitman Mar 12, 2011
WEC import Francisco
Rivera will make his UFC debut against King of the Cage veteran
Reuben
Duran, as the fighters have agreed to square off in a
bantamweight contest at
“The Ultimate Fighter 13” Finale.
Sherdog.com learned of the matchup from a source close to one of the fighters Saturday.
While not officially announced by the promotion, the season finale
for the upcoming iteration of the UFC's long-running reality show
is rumored to go down June 4 from the Palms Casino Resort in Las
Vegas.
Bouts pitting WEC lightweight king Anthony Pettis against UFC stalwart Clay Guida and featherweight submission ace Josh Grispi against lanky striker George Roop are also expected for the event.
After taking a cracking kick to the dome early in the WEC 52 featherweight contest, Rivera fell to the floor and was finished with punches just 96 seconds into the bout. Rivera has knocked out over half of his career victims and has never earned a submission victory in nearly three years as a professional.
Duran also comes off a loss, though the bantamweight gave a good account of himself on March 3, losing to former WEC title challenger Takeya Mizugaki by split decision at UFC Live 3. Prior to that loss, Duran had won four straight bouts.
The Pinnacle Jiu-Jitsu and MMA product has finished all but one of his fallen foes and has never been knocked out.
Reader comments are active below. Chime in with an opinion or thought by signing in with your Facebook, Twitter, Google or Yahoo! account.
Sherdog.com learned of the matchup from a source close to one of the fighters Saturday.
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Bouts pitting WEC lightweight king Anthony Pettis against UFC stalwart Clay Guida and featherweight submission ace Josh Grispi against lanky striker George Roop are also expected for the event.
After beginning his career a perfect 5-0 fighting on the local
circuit, Rivera (Pictured) made his WEC debut as a late replacement
for the aforementioned Grispi against Duke Roufus standout Erik Koch in
November.
After taking a cracking kick to the dome early in the WEC 52 featherweight contest, Rivera fell to the floor and was finished with punches just 96 seconds into the bout. Rivera has knocked out over half of his career victims and has never earned a submission victory in nearly three years as a professional.
Duran also comes off a loss, though the bantamweight gave a good account of himself on March 3, losing to former WEC title challenger Takeya Mizugaki by split decision at UFC Live 3. Prior to that loss, Duran had won four straight bouts.
The Pinnacle Jiu-Jitsu and MMA product has finished all but one of his fallen foes and has never been knocked out.
Reader comments are active below. Chime in with an opinion or thought by signing in with your Facebook, Twitter, Google or Yahoo! account.
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