UTICA, N.Y. – Jimmie Rivera is in high spirits after suffering his first loss in nearly a decade on Friday at UFC Fight Night 131.

Rivera (22-2 MMA, 5-1 UFC) entered the event, which took place at Adirondack Bank Center in Utica, N.Y., and aired on FS1 following prelims on FS1 and UFC Fight Pass, on a remarkable 20-fight winning streak. It all came crashing down in just 33 seconds, though, when he got caught with a head kick by Marlon Moraes (21-5-1 MMA, 3-1 UFC) that set up the knockout finish.

It seemed as though Rivera was on the cusp of a bantamweight title shot going into the bout. The outcome is a tough pill to swallow, but Rivera said he’s not going to let the loss define him going forward.

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“I’m thinking about just going back to training again and just getting ready for the next fight,” Moraes told reporters, including MMAjunkie, after his loss. “You always get knocked down off the horse, it’s what you do afterwards. … It’s just ride on and try again. I’m just going to go back to the drawing board, get back working again and get my next fight in line.”

There was some tension between Rivera and Moraes going into UFC Fight Night 131. Rivera repeatedly said his issue wasn’t with Moraes, but instead with his manager, Ali Abdelaziz. According to Rivera, Abdelaziz said some unflattering comments about his wife during an interaction at a UFC event, and it hadn’t sat well with him ever since.

After the stoppage occurred in the main event, Rivera approached Moraes and shared some words. He said none of it was of it was hostile, and he gave props to his opponent for his win.

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“I said to him: ‘It was never you,'” Rivera said. “It’s always his manager that was very disrespectful. Hat’s off to him. He got a shot, he got a good kick in. It is what it is. It’s part of the sport.”

Rivera hasn’t tasted defeat for a long time, and he said the feeling isn’t a good one. He said he wants to return to the octagon as soon as possible, but believe his wife is going to force him to take some rest before accepting another fight.

If anything, the loss served as motivation for Rivera, he said. He’s learned that flaws still exist in his game, and he wants to get back in the gym as soon as possible to fix them.

“It was a good head kick, he caught me with a good shot. Hat’s off to him. I’m just going back to start training again and get ready for the next fight.”

For complete coverage of UFC Fight Night 131, check out the UFC Events section of the site.

Marlon Moraes def. Jimmie Rivera at UFC Fight Night 131: Best photos

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