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Rivera to appeal UFC 181 loss to Faber

Bantamweight Francisco Rivera doesn't think his loss to Urijah Faber at UFC 181 was legitimate, and he'll have a chance to plead his case for a no contest in front of the Nevada Athletic Commission next week.

Rivera was in control of his bout with the former WEC Featherweight kingpin on Dec. 6, when an inadvertent eye-poke halted his momentum and sent him retreating to the fence. Faber took advantage of the opening, quickly snatching a fight-ending bulldog choke at 1:34 of the second round.

Referee Mario Yamasaki didn't see the infraction live, and failed to check instant replay despite its availability.

"I had a huge chance, a huge opportunity for me, and to lose that much money and in that way, it drives me crazy," Rivera told MMAjunkie. "I'm not one to tell the UFC, 'Please give me my money, please give me my money.' They're going to do what they're going to go, but it does hurt.

"I wish I'd gotten my win bonus, because then I could really take care of my family. I could do some things I dreamed of and have an opportunity to do for my son and my daughter, and now I have to go back to the drawing board and start all over again."

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