John Lineker could have been a contender at 125 pounds. As it turns out, he should have a future at 135.
One day after missing the 125-pound weight limit for the fourth time in his past eight fights, Lineker rallied in the last two rounds to defeat Ian McCall at UFC 183 in Las Vegas via unanimous decision. In an entertaining scrap, Lineker took 29-28, across-the-board scores for the win.
Lineker, who gave up on his weight cut Friday and was fined 30 percent of his purse after coming in at 130 pounds, got off to a bad start in the fist round, as McCall scored a takedown and worked him over from top position for most of the round.
In the second, Lineker turned things in his favor, as he got the Costa Mesa, Calif. native into a tight guillotine. It’s to McCall’s credit that he got out of the choke. But the hard-hitting Lineker kept up the pressure and caught McCall in another choke late in the round.
More Coverage: UFC 183 Results | UFC news
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in the third, McCall faded as Lineker turned up the heat. The Brazilian opened a cut over McCall’s eye and continued to pour it on with his punches, but McCall made it to the buzzer.
Showing that he doesn’t seem to get the seriousness of his constant weight misses, Lineker mockingly rubbed his belly toward the end of the fight, a gesture he repated afterwards.
UFC president Dana White indicated to Brazilian media that Lineker won’t be allowed to compete at 125 again in the UFC, making a move to bantamweight likely.
Lineker (25-7) won for the sixth time in seven fights; McCall (13-5-1) had a two-fight win streak snapped. This bout was originally scheduled for UFC Fight Night 56, but was scrapped due to a McCall blood infection after the both fighters weighed in.