It’s a fantastic win for Rivera, who at age 39 looked sharp and fast in this fight. Considering he hadn’t fought since UFC 201 the same night that Tyron Woodley knocked out Robbie Lawler to win the UFC welterweight title seeing him get back in the cage and land the knockout blow on an experienced regional-level fighter like Lilley is impressive. It might not be the win that gets Rivera back into the UFC, but it can’t hurt. It should be mentioned the fight against Lilley was contested at 140lbs.
Now that Rivera beat Lilley, look for him to try and get back into the cage as soon as he can. It’s possible the UFC could call him back up to re-join the promotion’s bantamweight or featherweight divisions. Remember, Rivera was an exciting fighter who had an absolute slugfest with John Lineker. Bellator could also look to sign the California native, plus PFL could be interested in him in a future tournament, as well.