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Jerome Rivera, right, is shown fighting Saul Elizondo in a 2017 bout at Isleta Casino. Rivera won that one by TKO, but he has faced some adversity since signing with UFC last September. (Roberto E. Rosales/Albuquerque Journal File)
Jerome Rivera is 0-3 as a UFC fighter. Going 0-4, he’s aware, could spell the end of his career in MMA’s most powerful organization.
Yet, the Santa Fe native says, that’s not his primary source of motivation as he prepares to face Kazakhstan’s Zhalgas Zhumagolov on Saturday in Las Vegas, Nevada.
All he needs for inspiration is to look at his gym bag, where he’s affixed photos of his fiancée, Gabriella Fischer, and their almost 3-year-old daughter Emilia.