Cody Stamann vs. Jimmie Rivera set for July 15 scrap on Fight Island

A featherweight bout between top-15 bantamweight contenders Cody Stamann and Jimmie Rivera is the latest addition to the UFC Fight Island event on July 15.

MMAFighting.com’s Mike Heck reported that the UFC has booked a featherweight bout between Stamann and Rivera for the July 15 card set for Yas Island in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. Both fighters will be competing up a weight class due to the short-notice nature of the book, as the fight takes place just a week from now.

Stamann (19-2-1) is the No. 10 ranked bantamweight in the UFC. The 30-year-old American has looked great since joining the UFC in 2017, going 5-1-1 overall over seven appearances in the Octagon. He has notable wins over Bryan Caraway, Tom Duquesnoy, and Alejandro Perez in the bantamweight division, with a draw to Song Yadong and his lone loss inside the Octagon to top contender Aljamain Sterling.

This is the second straight fight that Stamann has took up a weight class on short notice. Back at UFC 250 in June, Stamann defeated Brian Kelleher via unanimous decision in a fight contested at 145lbs. However, he typically competes as a bantamweight. Moving up 10lbs in weight is more to give the fighters an easier weight cut due to the short notice.

Rivera (22-4) is the No. 9 ranked bantamweight in the UFC. The 31-year-old American had run a 20-fight win streak at one point of his career although he’s struggled to find the win column as of late. Overall, Rivera has a 6-3 record in the UFC, but he’s lost three of his last four fights. He has notable wins over Urijah Faber, Thomas Almeida, Pedro Munhoz, and John Dodson, with losses in the UFC to Petr Yan, Marlon Moraes, and the aforementioned Sterling.

Expect a betting line to drop for this bout soon considering it will take place just a little over a week from now. Bettors should expect competitive odds for this bout, though Stamann will likely be favored due to his recent unbeaten streak.

Who do you think wins, Cody Stamann or Jimmie Rivera?