Rivera tops Almeida in entertaining tilt for 20th straight win

Jimmie Rivera had to work for every last bit of his 20th consecutive win.

Two top-10 bantamweights went toe-to-toe for 15 minutes in the main card opener of UFC on FOX 25 in Long Island on Saturday, and it was Rivera who got the unanimous nod over Thomas Almeida.

Rivera now sports a gaudy 21-1 record and he hasn't tasted defeat since Nov. 21, 2008. His five consecutive UFC wins put him into a tie with divisional champion Cody Garbrandt for the longest streak at 135 pounds.

Rivera's last four wins have all come by way of decision and this may have been the most difficult one yet.

Things started off well enough for the New Jersey native, who fights out of Manhattan, as he dropped Almeida twice in the opening round.

First, it was a straight left that planted Almeida on his backside against the cage:

Then, with a minute to go in Round 1, Rivera landed another stiff shot that temporarily robbed Almeida of his equilibrium:

However, the 25-year-old Brazilian showed off his young man's chin, stalking Rivera in Round 2 even as he continued to get lit up by the sharp striking of "El Terror." Almeida's persistence paid off midway through the round when he landed a right hand to score a knockdown of his own:

Rivera wasn't taking any chances in Round 3 and he opened the final frame with a powerful double leg slam. He couldn't keep Almeida on the mat, but the threat of the takedown may have been enough for Rivera to stay a step ahead in the standup exchanges.

Following the announcement of the decision, Rivera called out Garbrandt. "No Love" is currently dealing with a back injury, so Rivera added that he was open to a bout with former champ Dominick Cruz, or an interim title match with top contender TJ Dillashaw.

Despite a strong effort, Almeida suffers his second loss in his past three fights. He is 22-2 in his pro career.