Jimmie Rivera has known since December that when he made his next trip to the octagon, Marlon Moraes would likely be the man standing opposite him.

Now the pair has a date in the form of a five-round headliner at UFC Fight Night 131 in June.

Rivera (20-1 MMA, 5-0 UFC) and Moraes (20-5-1 MMA, 2-1 UFC) were close to having their marquee bantamweight bout unfold on short notice at UFC 219 in December. Rivera had two scheduled opponents fall off the card, and on less than a week’s notice there was discussion about Moraes stepping in for a catchweight fight.

From Rivera’s side, he never actually believed Moraes was going to fight him on such a short window. He even offered to give a 10-pound allowance and have the fight at featherweight, but nothing came to fruition. It’s happening at UFC Fight Night 131, though, which takes place June 1 at Adirondack Bank Center in Utica, N.Y. The card airs on FS1 following early prelims on UFC Fight Pass.

“You always want to fight the best person who is going to get you closer to the belt,” Rivera told MMAjunkie. “That was the reason behind why I picked Marlon. It’s a main-event fight, so it’s a very good career move for both of us. This was the main option. I figured this was going to be the best move for a No. 1 contender fight.”

Rivera, No. 5 in the latest USA TODAY Sports/MMAjunkie MMA bantamweight rankings, views his clash with No. 6-ranked Moraes as an obvious title eliminator. UFC bantamweight champion T.J. Dillashaw (15-3 MMA, 11-3 UFC) does not have a fight set, though there are ongoing talks about a superfight with flyweight titleholder Demetrious Johnson (27-2-1 MMA, 15-1-1 UFC).

At this point, Rivera said he’s not convinced Dillashaw vs. Johnson will happen. He said he’s heard whispers that it’s not likely at the moment, which for Rivera is a good thing. Rivera wants to fight for the title as soon as possible, and given the landscape of the division, he said the timing for his fight against Moraes is perfect.

“In a way it’s kind of better for me,” Rivera said. “(Dominick) Cruz is still out hurt and I don’t feel like they push (Raphael) Assuncao a lot. He’s kind of quiet, and he’s been hurt, too, supposedly. So, I think it really comes down to putting on a good show, getting a good win and then I’m definitely No. 1 contender for the best. No questions asked.”

Although an impressive win seemingly would push Rivera to the front of the queue – especially because his winning streak would then sit at 21 fights – he said no promises have been made. Rivera is a fighter, but he said he also considers himself a wise businessman. Title shots are never assured until a fighter steps in the cage to compete against the champion, but if all things are equal, Rivera thinks his expectations are reasonable.

“They never guarantee something because at the end of the day it’s business and they’re a business,” Rivers said. “But it would be only makes sense. Anything can change – look how many times the T.J. vs. ‘DJ’ fight has been on and off, and now I think it’s not happening – so I understand the business. But, this should be for No. 1 contender.”

Rivera’s big-picture goal is to fight for and win the UFC bantamweight title, but he’s aware that losing to Moraes would be a significant blow to those aspirations. “El Terror” said he’s trained with Moraes in the past and any previous conflict about the WSOF champ stems from tension with his “(expletive)hole” manager, Ali Abdelaziz, and not the fighter himself.

In fact, Rivera revealed he’s actually trained with Moraes in the past prior to his September 2016 win over Urijah Faber at UFC 203. Rivera wouldn’t share details of the training sessions, but it’s clear confidence is on his side going into his first UFC headliner this June.

“It’s a big jump, it’s a big deal,” Rivera said. “I go in there and beat Marlon and it’s six fights in a row that I’ve won (in the UFC). There’s no question or doubt that I deserve a title shot.

For more on UFC Fight Night 131, check out the UFC Rumors section of the site.