UFC Veteran Jorge Rivera Not Ready To Retire, Plans To Keep Fighting

Mired in speculation that he would retire after dropping his second straight fight at UFC 133, Jorge Rivera (19-9) has decided to continue his career. The 39-year-old announced his plans to hold off retirement Monday morning to MMAJunkie.com.

With UFC experience dating as far back as 2003, Rivera has become a mainstay within the promotion over his four stints in the middleweight division. Never one to shy away from a fight, "El Conquistador" has faced a laundry list of high profile opponents throughout his tenure, including losses to Anderson Silva, Rich Franklin, Chris Leben, and Michael Bisping. The veteran also holds noteworthy victories over name fighters such as Travis Lutter, Nate Quarry, Dennis Hallman, and Kendall Grove.

Rivera's fourth -- and most successful -- run within the UFC began in 2006 after competing in season four of "The Ultimate Fighter". However, after emerging from UFC 133 on the wrong side of a split decision with Constantinos Philippou, Rivera is now caught in the first two-fight losing streak of his career. He lost previously to Bisping in the co-headlining bout of UFC 127.