Jimmie Rivera continues to rise in the UFC bantamweight division, and he eyes another former champion next to get closer to a shot at the gold.

Fresh off a unanimous decision win over Urijah Faber at UFC 203 in Cleveland, Rivera spoke with Ariel Helwani on Monday’s edition of The MMA Hour and explained why a clash with T.J. Dillashaw makes the most sense for him next.

"I wouldn’t be surprised if it’s T.J. Dillashaw," Rivera said. "Cody and Cruz are going to have a fight soon, I heard, that’s probably gonna be in the works for December. I wouldn’t be surprised. I think it’s gonna be probably T.J. Dillashaw next."

Rivera expects 135-pound champion Dominick Cruz to put his title on the line against undefeated Cody Garbrandt later this year, and sees a fight with Dillashaw as the perfect bout to determine who’s next in line for the UFC belt.

"That would be my top choice because now you have Cody and Cruz," he said. "I think Dillashaw really wants the rematch but Cruz doesn’t want it, and the UFC is not giving to him anyway."

Rivera entered UFC 203 coming off three wins inside the Octagon, and claims that Faber wasn’t the first option the promotion offered him. According to the bantamweight prospect, Bryan Caraway and Takeya Mizugaki turned down fights with him, and Faber was the only to say yes.

"I think I’m still underrated," Rivera said. "I feel like that all the time. And you know what? It’s cool. I love to be underrated, I love to be this kid coming in, who’s ranked 12, just beating the number 2. You know what I mean?

"I might be underrated to people, but I know at least to the fighters, to the people that are ranked in the bantamweight division, that they know I’m here, they know I want to be the champ, and it’s fine by me."

Coming off a huge win in Cleveland, will Rivera be pushed by the promotion as the next big thing in the division?

"To be honest, I don’t know," he said. "Maybe they will, maybe they won’t. I just wanna keep moving forward. As long as they keep me moving forward, I have no problem."

If his plans go the way he wants, Rivera will beat Dillashaw and fight the winner of Cruz vs. Garbrandt next, and that would mean Cruz vs. Rivera in 2017.

"You know what? I think Cody, if he connects that right hand of his, but Cruz is a very, very smart fighter with everything he does," Rivera said. "I’ve seen him, I’ve watched him so much. He’s in my weight class so study him. He does stuff to beat you, he does all these things.

"I feel like a lot of people haven’t fought him the correct way. Dillashaw did really well, but I think… I don’t know. I have to go with Cruz on that fight. Nothing against Cody, but Cody is a cool and nice guy, but I think it would be Cruz on that fight."