Jimmie Rivera isn’t knocking T.J. Dillashaw for trying to become a two-division champion.

This past Saturday night (Jan. 19), Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) bantamweight ruler Dillashaw challenged flyweight title holder Henry Cejudo. The bout headlined UFC on ESPN+ 1. Dillashaw ended up suffering a TKO loss in just 32 seconds. While Dillashaw has insisted that the fight was stopped early, the fact is he has suffered his first loss since Jan. 2016.
Rivera Understands Dillashaw’s Motives

Rivera spoke to reporters backstage before Dillashaw shared the Octagon with Cejudo. He said that Dillashaw’s move down in weight class to chase another title is understandable (via MMAJunkie.com):

“I think it’s holding up (the division) for some of the guys who deserve a (title) fight, like Assuncao or Marlon. I think it’s holding up them, but they’re already going to fight each other again and rematch each other. I think Assuncao was really the No. 1 contender coming out of everything. But (Dillashaw) is dropping down, doing something for his legacy. I can’t blame him. If I was in his shoes I would do the same thing.”

Rivera is set to return to action to take on Aljamain Sterling. The bout will take place on Feb. 17. It is also set to air live on the major ESPN network.