BROOKLYN, NEW YORK - APRIL 06: (L-R) Opponents Jimmie Rivera and Marlon Moraes face off during the UFC press conference inside Barclays Center on April 6, 2018 in Brooklyn, New York. (Photo by Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images)

Jimmie Rivera doesn’t have a personal grudge with Marlon Moraes, just his manager. He hopes to find a bit of closure with a victory in Friday night’s UFC Utica headliner.

Jimmie Rivera is making it clear that his pure dislike for Marlon Moraes’ manager, Ali Abdelaziz, will not be a distraction as he prepares to headline his first UFC event. However over his client will certainly add some salt and pepper to the steak.

Rivera and Moraes will clash in the bantamweight main event of UFC Utica this Friday night at the Adirondack Bank Center in Utica, NY. The event will air on FS1.

The rivalry between Rivera and Abdelaziz began, in a more innocent way, about a year ago when Moraes called for an introduction to the Octagon against “El Terror”. From there, according to Rivera, it got very personal. During the events leading up to UFC 219 in December, Rivera, who was scheduled to face John Lineker on short notice, found out he would be without another opponent. At some point during fight week, Rivera and Abdelaziz had words. Rivera has said in multiple interviews, including with MMAJunkie Radio, that Abdelaziz called his wife “a b***h” in Las Vegas.

Abdelaziz denies that claim, saying that the words were meant for Rivera, not his wife. Rivera isn’t buying it. In fact, he plans to exact his revenge on Abdelaziz through his client on Friday night.

“No, I can’t wait,” Rivera told FanSided MMA. “He hides behind his fighters. I can’t wait to get in there. It’s funny that he said it actually didn’t happen because a month, month and a half ago, the UFC came to film and they said ‘He, exactly, said that.’ The guys filming for the UFC, for ‘The Road to the Octagon’, they said, ‘he really did say that.’ It’s funny to hear him say that he didn’t think it went down that way. Everybody heard it. Everybody in the UFC heard it. You’re guys were around, they heard it. He went and hid behind Khabib’s guys, he hides behind his fighters. I can’t wait to get in the cage with Marlon and take it all out on him.”

There is a history between Rivera and Moraes that stems from training together in the past. While Rivera doesn’t believe that Moraes deserves to be in a main event after a 2-1 start to his UFC career, he also knows he can’t look passed the former World Series of Fighting bantamweight champion.

For Rivera, the plan is simple; no distractions. No fishing for ill-advised finish opportunities. Just go out, get a victory and, hopefully, a UFC bantamweight title shot will follow.

“I’m just gonna go in there and try to get my hand raised in whatever way possible,” Rivera said. “Whether it’s just tearing him up, picking him apart throughout the rounds, whatever it is. If the knockout comes, it comes. Some people, I know casual fans, love to see knockouts. But it’s hard to knock someone out when they’re running away from you. If they’re not staying in the pocket and trying to bang with you, you’re not going to get that knockout.”

If all goes according to plan, Rivera’s last impression on fans and viewers will not be when his hand is raised. Will he cut a fiery promo when the microphone is in his face?

“Oh, hell yeah I am.”