Francisco Rivera is back and in full force.
The longtime UFC bantamweight staple returned to MMA this past Saturday at XMMA’s first event in West Palm Beach, Fla. Rivera (12-7 MMA) knocked out Ryan Lilley in the first round of their featherweight co-main event.
The victory was the first fight for Rivera since his UFC run came to an end when he was given a four-year suspension by the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) in July 2016. At UFC 201, Rivera lost to Erik Perez by unanimous decision.
In an out-of-competition test on July 23, 2016, Rivera tested positive for banned substance clenbuterol. He was originally given a two-year suspension, but an arbitrator determined Rivera had falsified evidence, and as a result, his standard two-year suspension was increased to four years.
The 39-year-old snapped a three-fight losing skid that came at the end of his career with the UFC, which ran from 2012 to 2016. He owns notable victories over Alex Caceres and George Roop.
