This Saturday, a huge fight goes down in the flyweight division between former Tachi Palace Fights champion Ian “Uncle Creepy” McCall and John Lineker in the co-main event of UFC Fight Night 56.
McCall is ranked at No. 3 in the division, while Lineker sits at No. 6. The winner of this fight could easily be next in line for a title shot at Demetrious “Mighty Mouse” Johnson.
McCall and Johnson have met twice before, with the first fight ending in a draw and the second in a unanimous decision for Johnson. Lineker has never faced Johnson before, and he is currently the second-highest ranked flyweight without a loss to him.
Let’s check out the keys to victory for each fighter.
Ian McCall
Intensity
McCall can be a ferocious fighter. He is fast and in your face from the first bell. He needs to do that against Lineker. Lineker is a striker with serious power, and if McCall is able to keep him on his heels, he won’t be able to generate as much power with his strikes.
In addition, Lineker cuts a lot of weight to make 125. If McCall keeps the pace up, Lineker could gas very easily. If that happens, then expect McCall to have a hugely impressive night.
Takedowns
McCall is one of the best grapplers in the division. There’s no doubt that he will be looking to take this fight to the ground and look for a ground-and-pound victory.
McCall has scored at least one takedown in all of his UFC fights, and he also took Dominick Cruz down twice when they fought back in 2009. This fight should continue that streak.
Keep His Head in the Game
McCall has without a doubt learned from the mistake he made in the first fight against Demetrious Johnson, but it still needs to be said.
When McCall had Johnson’s back, he was landing strikes but also trying to rally the crowd, instead of just focusing on finishing the fight.
If he sees an opportunity, he has to go for the finish instead of trying to win the crowd.
John Lineker
Knockout Power
There’s no question about what Lineker will be looking to do in this fight. He’s earned his last four wins by (T)KO, and he’ll be looking to make it five.
Working against him is the fact that McCall has never been knocked out in his 18-fight career, even though he’s faced some of the top fighters in the division.
If Lineker is able to land a power shot, though, he absolutely has the ability to be the first to knock McCall out.
Takedown Defense
This one goes without question: Lineker needs to stay on his feet.
McCall is one of the top grapplers in the division, and if he gets Lineker on the ground, it could quickly lead to the end of the fight. Lineker is only a blue belt in BJJ and has lost by submission three times in his career, most recently in 2012.
If Lineker is able to avoid the takedown and keep the fight standing, he’ll have a good chance of scoring a knockout victory.
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