Rivera Tried To Save Edgar Fight But ‘Answer’ Was No

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Longtime UFC veteran Frankie Edgar was supposed to make his bantamweight debut in the UFC “Fight Night” co-main event on July 15 in Abu Dhabi, but then opponent Pedro Munhoz was stricken with coronavirus and forced to withdraw.

Ever the gamer, No. 9-ranked bantamweight bruiser Jimmie Rivera offered to step in and replace “The Young Punisher,” but according to “El Terror,” the finicky Edgar already threw in the towel and turned down the last minute request.

“I got a call for a replacement from my manager Monday, and then at the same time, I heard that Frankie’s opponent Pedro dropped out so I put my name in for that, and unfortunately, Frankie said no,” Rivera told Low Kick (transcribed by Adam Martin). “So Cody Stamann was the other person, I said, ‘Alright, I’ll take that fight, and they said, ‘Ok, no problem,’ and I said, ‘Perfect.’ It just ended up working out like that.”

Rivera, 31, was once considered the future of the bantamweight division and was even ranked as high as No. 4 at 135 pounds. Unfortunately, “El Terror” dropped three of his last four to some of the top names in the division and has since tumbled five spots to No. 9.

It’s hard to imagine a fighter as experienced as Edgar not wanting to compete against a short-notice replacement like Rivera and there may be a chance “The Answer” had already stopped cutting weight by the time he got the call. Regardless, Rivera will still compete on July 15, taking on No. 10-ranked Cody Stamann at featherweight.