“A Closer Look At UFC 133” continues into its second day of in-depth examination of the full UFC 133 card. This is the fourth part of a planned seven-part series. Part 1 is available here, Part 2 can be seen here, and Part 3 is right here. Now it’s time to focus on an interesting Middleweight match-up that pits Jorge Rivera against Constantinos Phillippou. ...

A middleweight match-up that has been on again and off again for the better part of a year will finally be taking place...or so we hope. Alessio Sakara, at one time a budding contender to the middleweight title, will be pitted to meet with another derailed contender Jorge Rivera. The two men were scheduled to meet two times before, but third time might be the charm. Now, the two strikers will square off opposite one another at UFC 133, which takes place at the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. ...

While some of the controversy surrounding UFC 127 laid upon the main-event of the evening, which pitted former champ BJ Penn against Jon Fitch where the two welterweights fought to a draw, Michael Bisping might have taken the spotlight. At UFC 127, which took place at the Acer Arena in Sydney, Australia, there was a lot of heat between both Jorge Rivera and Michael Bisping, who were the co-main event of the evening late last month. Rivera posted numerous videos online, mocking the Brit, and it clearly got under his skin. Eventually, the two met and Bisping was declared the winner via TKO. However, the fight wasn't without it's issues, and the whole world took note, including UFC President Dana White, and he has since punished the Bisping accordingly. ...

When UFC 127 “Penn vs. Fitch” airs live tomorrow, it will be the culmination of much hard work by all involved. Many of the fighters find themselves in can’t-lose situations, from BJ Penn to Jorge Rivera, from Jon Fitch to George Sotiropoulos. I’ve covered this event a whole lot, and now it’s time for my final say. This is another edition of “Finally Final Thoughts”, covering my final musings on what I hope will be one of the best cards of 2011. ...

By John Moody If any UFC 127 fighter’s life is ripe to be made into a movie it is the story of Jorge Rivera. A stunning knockout of Michael Bisping in Australia would certainly sweeten the script for any Hollywood suit on the fence. Why Jorge Rivera? ...

We’re now only a few days away from UFC 127 "Penn vs. Fitch". In the main event, BJ Penn takes on Jon Fitch for the next shot at the UFC Welterweight Championship.. The co-main event will also be an interesting match-up, as Michael Bisping and Jorge Rivera look to settle a bitter war of words inside the Octagon. As is customary, here is my official “picks and predictions” post (covering who I think will win and why), now featuring UFC 127 "Penn vs. Fitch". ...

On February 27 (26 in the United States), the UFC will hold its highly-anticipated “Penn vs. Fitch” event, featuring a major welterweight showdown between top stars BJ Penn and Jon Fitch, with a shot at the UFC Welterweight Championship on the line. Also, heavy-handed Middleweight fighters Jorge Rivera and Michael Bisping will look to settle a bitter and heated rivalry when they step into the Octagon in the night’s co-main event. Still, some fans may be asking themselves: what are the best reasons to check out this card? Here’s my answer to just that: 5 reasons to watch UFC 127 “Penn vs. Fitch”. ...

Hello once more fans and friends and welcome to the latest edition of “Crash Course”. “Crash Course” is a series of articles designed to give readers a quick rundown on all the relevant information they need to know heading into an upcoming major MMA event. Everything from why you should watch, what you should expect in the co-main and main event, and even where and when you can find it on TV is all covered in detail. So let’s get right to it with today’s edition, featuring UFC 127: “Penn vs. Fitch”. ...

Hello once more fans and friends and welcome back to the latest edition of my “5 Reasons Why” series. Today’s double-entry features the impending encounter between tough Middleweight fighters Michael Bisping and Jorge Rivera. For five reasons why Rivera could beat Bisping, click here. Now it’s time to focus on the five reasons why I think Michael Bisping could beat Jorge Rivera. ...

If you didn’t know who Jorge Rivera was before the weeks leading up to UFC 127, you most likely know now. With a series of hilarious internet videos, Rivera has dominated the pre-fight verbal war between himself and his impending opponent Michael Bisping. It seems as if Bisping has met his match when it comes to trash talking, but what about when the fight actually happens? Here’s my answer to just that: another entry into my “Five Reasons Why” series. First up is five reasons why Jorge Rivera could beat Michael Bisping, with the reverse soon to follow. Let’s dive right in. ...

Normally it’s ufc star Michael Bisping that does all the trash talking in the weeks leading up to his next fight. Bisping’s cocky attitude has earned him the ire of many fighting fans, and to this day, Bisping remains a controversial fighter. Heading into his fight with Jorge Rivera, though, it’s Rivera that seems to be getting the better of the Brit when it comes to the verbal war. A series of hilarious online videos seems to have managed to get under Bisping’s skin, as he recently launched into a tirade against his upcoming opponent. Here are all the details. ...

From the moment its main event was first announced, fans around the world started buzzing about ufc 127. This will mark the second time the UFC has visited the Land Down Under, as the event is scheduled for February 27 at the Acer Arena in Sydney, Australia. Jon Fitch and BJ Penn clash in the main event in a key welterweight showdown that has serious title implications. The official and complete card was recently announced, so here are all the details. ...

It’s been talked about for weeks now, and more and more reports have the bout coming closer and closer to fruition. It’s Michael Bisping vs. Jorge Rivera, and right it’s about as official as it’s ever going to get. In a recent YouTube video, Michael Bisping himself confirmed that he would be meeting Rivera, most likely in the co-main event, at UFC 127 in Australia. And in typical Bisping fashion, he also took time to get in some precise verbal jabs. Here are the highlights. ...

There has been some back and forth between middleweight's Jorge Rivera and Michael Bisping concerning the validity of their rumored match up, which is said to take place on Feb. 27 at the Acer Arena in Sydney, Australia. Bisping spoke in his personal blog that he has been approached about fighting on the February card at ufc 127, but that no opponent had been discussed. Following his brief stint in Germany, Jorge Rivera disclosed that preliminary talks were in place for a match up against Bisping for the Australia card. Jorge's opponent at UFC 122 in Oberhausen, Alessio Sakara, had pulled out at the last minute of their co-main event slot due to illness. Now, both Bisping and Jorge will look to climb the ladder of the middleweight division with a win over one another. ...

Budding contender Jorge Rivera has been having a bit of bad luck lately. Though he's been riding high in a rebirth of his UFC career, where he is now riding a three-fight win streak inside the octagon, which is the first time he has been able to do so in his career, he has had a hard time setting up a fight. His last victory, a big one at that, came in the form of a second-round TKO victory over former title challenger Nate Quarry last March at "UFC Fight Night 21", but since then "El Matador" has had two failed bouts come to fruition against fellow resurgent middleweight, Alessio Sakara. ...

Budding middleweight contender Jorge Rivera looks to quickly rebound after a disappointing turn of events at ufc 122. After a match up between fellow contender Alessio Sakara had been botched not once, but twice, you could understand how frustrated the Massachusetts native would be. At the age of 38 and with nearly 10 years clocked into the mixed martial arts world, it's now or never for Rivera. With his most recent resurgence, another win or two over credible opponents will make him an attractive challenger to the middleweight title. But first, Jorge must get through Michael Bisping. ...

UFC 122: “Okami vs. Marquardt” went off without a hitch yesterday despite a negative German media presence that forced the event off of television and onto the internet. While the preliminary card was loaded with finishes, the main televised card saw an abundance of decision victories. Nevertheless, I hesitate to call UFC 122 a “bad” event. Recently the UFC handed out their traditional post-fight bonuses, so here’s what everyone walked away with. Also included is a quick mini-review on the event itself. ...

The UFC’s return to Germany is now in the history books, and UFC 122: “Marquardt vs. Okami” gave us several interesting bouts before completing its run. In the main event, top Middleweight stars Nate Marquardt and Yushin Okami battled it out to determine the next UFC Middleweight Championship  contender, with Okami winning what some consider to be a title shot that is long, long overdue. As is customary for the day after a big event, here are my predictions on what’s next for the big winners and losers of UFC 122: “Marquardt vs. Okami”. ...

Middleweight contender Alessio Sakara has bowed out of his co-main event slot with fellow striker Jorge Rivera this evening. Sakara had rode a three-fight win streak into the middleweight contest, which began with a head kick knockout of prospect Joe Vedepo, then with a pivotal split-decision victory over former title challenger Thales Leites and has culminated with a TKO win over James Irvin, all inside the octagon. A potential win over Rivera would have potentially vaulted the Italian into the cream of the crop of the 185-pound division, however it looks like now he'll have to wait to take that next big step. ...

While the tape-delayed broadcast on Spike TV isn’t set to air for another several hours, the UFC recently wrapped up UFC 122: “Marquardt vs. Okami” in Germany. It was a night that had an even number of finishes as well as fights that went the distance, with the main event perhaps not quite living up to expectations. For those who don’t want to wait, here are the full and complete results to UFC 122: “Marquardt vs. Okami”. ...

Later today the UFC will present its second event in Germany, UFC  122: “Marquardt vs. Okami”. Despite a hostile media and government presence that saw the UFC get banned from German television, the world’s biggest and most important MMA promotion continues to move forward with its international expansion. In tonight’s main event, former title challenger Nate Marquardt faces the last man to have ever beaten Anderson Silva (even if it was via DQ) in a fight that will more than likely determine the next UFC Middleweight Championship contender. As is customary for a big night of fights, here are my picks and predictions for UFC 122: “Marquardt vs. Okami”. ...

It has become clear for serious followers of the UFC what kind of fighter president Dana White likes.  He likes Chris Leben.  He likes Sam Stout.  He likes Stefan Struve.  He likes Carlos Condit.  He likes Stephan Bonnar.  Do you see the trend?  He likes guys that come forward … guys that will eat two shots to give one.  Guys that thrive when the fight becomes a brawl.  Guys that understand this is a business and fans need to be entertained at the peril of their won/loss record.  For these reasons, Dana White must love Jorge Rivera.  Rivera fights Alessio Sakara this weekend at UFC 122 in Germany and not only is the type of brawler White admires, but he says all the right things about why he loves MMA and the UFC. ...

A bout originally expected to take place last August in Boston, Mass. for UFC 118, will now come to fruition--but this time, in Germany. Budding middleweight contenders Jorge Rivera and Alessio Sakara will now face one another at UFC 122, in the UFC's second venture to Germany (the first came at UFC 99 last year). The organization made the bout official today, for the main card of the Spike TV televised card, which will now be headlined by fellow middleweights Yushin Oami versus Nate Marquardt in a number one contenders' match up. ...

It seems that Vitor Belfort’s path to the ufc Middleweight Championship is taking yet another detour. The former UFC Light Heavyweight Champion was tentatively penned as the next challenger to Middleweight kingpin Anderson Silva all the way back in September 2009, when he made his return to the promotion by scoring a huge knockout over former Middleweight Champion Rich Franklin in a catchweight bout. Since then, injuries (both Belfort’s and Silva’s) have ping-ponged this fight back and forth from one event to another. Now it may not even happen. MMAJunkie.com recently reported that Vitor Belfort is moving forward with plans to return in November…but against Yushin Okami. Everything is still pure speculation at this point, since nothing has been officially announced, but here’s what’s known so far. ...

A bout originally scheduled for UFC 118 this Saturday, has been pushed off till November, for the UFC's second trip to Germany, and it's first since it's inception last year for UFC 99, which was headlined by former champions Wanderlei Silva and Rich Franklin. Said bout, a middleweight affair against Jorge Rivera against fellow banger Alessio Sakara has stayed alive. The bout will mark a true push for each competitor, as one another will look for contenders' status in a crowded 185-pound division, dominated by Anderson Silva--though Chael Sonnen might argue the point. ...

UFC Fight Night took place last night before the season premiere of The Ultimate Fighter. Here is a look back at the highlights and low-lights of the event MMA Gospel style. ...

Fighters.com’s seventh-ranked lightweight “KenFlo” Kenny Florian (12-4) and former PRIDE champion “Fireball Kid” Takanori Gomi (28-6) both made the lightweight limit for their matchup at Fight Night 21 in Charlotte Wednesday night. ...

Fighters.com and UFC Light Heavyweight Champion “Dragon” Lyoto Machida (15-0) weighed in two-and-a-half pounds under the 205-pound light heavyweight limit Friday, a day before he'll defend his titles from sixth-ranked “Shogun” Mauricio Rua (18-3) at the STAPLES Center in Los Angeles Saturday. ...

Friday the UFC confirmed that the contender matchup between Fighters.com's seventh-ranked middleweight and former WEC champ Chael Sonnen (22-10-1) and UFC contender “Thunder” Yushin Okami (23-4) is not scheduled for the pay per view broadcast of UFC 104 in Los Angeles October 24. ...

After defeating "El Matador" Roger Huerta (20-2-1) in Minneapolis 9 August, Fighters.com’s seventh-ranked lightweight "KenFlo" Kenny Florian (10-3) mentioned the sudden passing of UFC veteran and TUF 4 contestant "El Conquistador" Jorge Rivera's (15-7) teenage daughter, Janessa. In his newsletter, Florian reiterated, ""It is a very difficult time right now for Jorge and his family as they try to make sense out of this unexpected tragedy.  Burial fees and medical expenses are significant and whatever help you can provide is very much appreciated." Rivera's last reported purse was $12,000 at UFC 67.  His two 2008 fights have been fought in the England and the UFC doesn't report purses for those events; but, River went 1-1 and probably earned a total of $36,000 before taxes.  Being a fighter,  he probably doesn't have health insurance. If you'd like to help the Riveras, make a check out to "Jorge Rivera" and mail it to: USMMA 316 Hartford Avenue Bellingham, MA 02019 ...