Issue 094
November 2012
You got into martial arts at a very young age. How did you transition to MMA?
“I started training at Tiger Schulmann’s when I was nine years old, when they taught mostly karate. Then, as time went on, they began teaching MMA and I jumped into that. I began as a young kid and I got good at it, and I wanted to keep doing it, so I started competing. I started doing a bunch of amateur MMA events, went professional and that’s when things really took off.”
How would you describe yourself as a fighter and as a person?
“As a person, I get along well with everyone. I’m also an instructor at the gym because I love teaching and sharing my knowledge to kids and adults. I work with a lot of kids, so I’m always trying to show them how to train MMA, how to kickbox, how to grapple and so on. I’m also trying to show them how to live their lives, how to make the right choices. I want them to not focus on the bad things in life, but focus on working hard and being successful. Through MMA I’ve already been so successful and I’m only 23 years old. I was 21 when I tried out for The Ultimate Fighter so the sky is the limit, really.”
How difficult is it being a fighter on the regional circuit who has made a name for himself but still isn’t in the UFC?
“It’s stressful. You feel like you’re so close, but you’re still not there. You ask yourself, ‘How many more fights do I have to win?’ Or, ‘How many more belts do I have to hold?’ It’s a little frustrating. I don’t know if it’s a little harder in the lower weight classes to get in, or I’m not sure what they’re looking for in a fighter. I see some of the lower weight class fighters that are in there now, and I’m not going to say names, but I see some fighters that are good and then I see some other fighters where I wonder how they got there. I don’t know what else Dana White or Sean Shelby want me to do to prove that I belong in there.”
You’re such a young fighter, though, do you not think there’s still plenty of time for you to progress?
“Yeah, of course. Sometimes I bum out about not being in there right now, but I feel like in life everything happens for a reason.I know I’m going to get in there, but maybe right now is not the right time to get in there. Maybe I need to have a few more fights, or I need to do something different, because once you get into the UFC you can’t fight in any other promotion, so you have to come in there with as much experience as possible.
“I think one of my best qualities is that I come in shape for fights. I’ve been through five five-minute championship rounds before. It’s not new to me. However, I’m never satisfied unless I’ve knocked someone out or submitted them because I’m a perfectionist. I’m always looking to get better. I’m always looking to work on my jiu-jitsu, work on my kickboxing, my boxing. I always want to make sure that I’m in top shape during fights.”
What should we expect from Jimmie Rivera in 2012?
“I’m just hoping that I end up in the UFC and keep winning my fights. I want to make sure the fans, and the audience in the place I’m fighting at are entertained and I get to continue doing what I love to do – and that’s fighting.”
