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Former UFC champion Dominick Cruz has been forced out of a scheduled fight against Jimmie Rivera at UFC 219 on Dec. 30 due to injury, sources confirmed to ESPN on Wednesday. The UFC has not announced Cruz's injury or Rivera's immediate future. MMAFighting.com first reported Cruz's withdrawal. The 135-pound bout was scheduled to take place on the UFC's pay-per-view event at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. It also would have likely decided the division's next No. 1 contender. Cruz (22-2) has had an unfortunate history with injuries. He fought just once during a four-year span, between 2012 and 2016, due to various injuries. Fighting out of San Diego, Cruz lost the UFC championship to Cody Garbrandt via unanimous decision in December. He has not fought in 2017. Rivera (21-1), of Ramsey, New Jersey, has won 20 fights in a row, including five in the UFC. His recent wins have come against Thomas Almeida and Urijah Faber. The UFC has not announced a main event for UFC 219. During a recent public appearance, UFC president Dana White said he was still hopeful that lightweight champion Conor McGregor would headline.
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