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Jun 29, 2009 - 9:08:33 AM By: Jamie Penick, MMATorch Editor-in-Chief 37 year old UFC veteran Jorge Rivera recently inked a new four fight contract extension according to a report from the Boston Herald. He finished out his previous contract with a victory in his tenth UFC bout against Nissen Osterneck this April.
Rivera's faced some of the best of the best the middleweight division has to offer en route to his 16-7 record. His UFC career dates back to UFC 44, where he defeated David Loiseau. His next bout was a loss against the fast-becoming-infamous Lee Murray in Murray's only UFC bout. It's been a .500 career in the UFC for Rivera since, with some wins and losses outside of the organization added to that as well, including a bout with Middleweight Champion Anderson Silva in 2005.
In recent years he's defeated the likes of Edwin Dewees and Kendall Grove, while dropping bouts to Martin Kampmann, Terry Martin and Chris Leben. The Herald report states he's looking to a fall return.
Penick's Analysis: Rivera is a game veteran who has put on some very good performances in the past. He's nearing the end of his career and has openly contemplated retirement but it seems he's going to make a go at the fight game a little longer. He is 7-3 in his last ten fights and definitely has some gas left in his tank, so we'll see what he can do come the fall.
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