LAS VEGAS – Pedro Munhoz and Jimmie Rivera put on a show Saturday night.
The two bantamweights went toe-to-toe in an action-packed contest that earned “Fight of the Night” honors at UFC Fight Night 186. Munhoz (19-5 MMA, 9-5 UFC), who won the fight with a unanimous decision, was able to avenge a 2015 loss to Rivera (23-5 MMA, 7-4 UFC) in the rematch.
Much of the talk afterward was on the calf kicks Munhoz peppered Rivera with throughout the fight.
“The calf kick is something that hurts a lot – not only for the person that’s getting the kick, but also, it hurt me, too, because it’s shin to shin,” Munhoz said at the post-fight news conference. “It’s something that’s part of the arsenal of techniques that I’ve been displaying over the years. The body kick, boxing – I just tried everything. Every time, I try to be a complete fighter. I also went into a heel hook. It was very tight, but Jimmie is such an incredible opponent and tough guy.
“It was a great performance. I feel very happy to be able to do what I love during the pandemic and give fans at home an incredible fight.”
The Brazilian left with the victory, but also with some calf swelling of his own. Rivera had plenty of success in the fight and also fired back with leg kicks.
“He threw me good ones, too,” Munhoz said. “He throws good calf kicks. A few years ago when he beat Urijah Faber, he was using a lot of the calf kicks on Urijah. So I knew and I was expecting him to throw those kicks, too.
“I was ready to block, but even then it hurts. He’s strong. He throws a lot of power behind his punches and kicks and he’s a really good fighter. For me, it feels even more special, that victory, due to the fact that it was against him. He’s for sure one of the best fighters in the division.”
With the win, Munhoz was able to bounce back from a controversial split-decision loss to Frankie Edgar in August 2020.
Munhoz, who’s ranked in the top 10 of the UFC’s official bantamweight rankings, hopes to get a fight with former champion T.J. Dillashaw next. However, down the line, he wouldn’t rule out a trilogy match with Rivera to settle the score.
“It could be,” Munhoz said. “I never chose any of my opponents. Whatever the UFC brings to the table, I’m always going to say yes. I’m professional. I never chose any of my fights.
“Jimmie is really good, so it’s not something I’m going to say, ‘Oh, I’m going to beat him every single time from now on.’ No, I have a lot of respect for him. I know his capability. Whenever we fight, it’s ‘Fight of the Night.’ (Saturday), I expected to get the bonus from the first time that we didn’t get.”
