UFC bantamweight contender John Lineker went into detail about his recent tweet calling for the promotion to either give him a fight or release him.
Lineker most recently dropped a split decision to Cory Sandhagen last month. However, he had won eight of his previous nine fights before that.
The problem is “Hands of Stone” has only fought three times since the beginning of 2017 and is struggling to make ends meet. He is reportedly working at a pet shop as he waits on the UFC to book him for a fight.
He finally released his frustration in a tweet on Wednesday.
“I’ve fought four times since 2016,” Lineker told MMA Junkie in an interview. “I have five kids. I need to pay my bills. I cannot survive like this.
“I don’t know if it’s something personal against me. If it is, just tell me and let me go, because I have to fight. I have to move on. It’s my career. It’s my life. I can’t be stuck this way.”
Lineker’s manager Alex Davis believes the promotion is accelerating other bantamweights instead of his client. As Lineker tweeted, Sandhagen fought four times since January last year and already has his next fight booked.
Meanwhile, Davis has lined up a July jiujitsu match for Lineker to take part in to receive a paycheck.
“The reality is staring us in the face,” Davis said. “We’re in a situation where certain guys are getting accelerated and other guys aren’t. In his case, it’s not fair, because he’s a very exciting, dynamic, top-level fighter. He deserves better than this.”
Lineker’s Past?
One possible reason for Lineker’s lack of fights could be his history of missing weight and getting injured.
The Brazilian isn’t sure if that’s the reason, but feels injuries shouldn’t be held against him as it can happen to any fighter. Regardless, he just needs to fight for now.
“Let me fight once every four months,” Lineker added. “Let me fight three times a year. I think that’s only fair.
“I’ve always fought in the ring, but now I find myself in a fight outside the ring. I’m fighting for my career. I’m fighting for my legacy. I’m fighting for my life. I can’t wait. It has to be now. I need to change the situation. I need to fight.”
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