At this point it’s turned into an ongoing series of face palms, but flyweight contender John Lineker once again missed weight at the UFC 169 weigh-ins. At least initially. The Brazilian tipped the scales at 127 pounds after bringing out the towels on his first attempt, thus missing the flyweight threshold by a single pound.
Lineker was given an additional hour to lose the weight. If he can’t he will once again sacrifice a percentage of his purse (20%), this time to his opponent Ali Bagautinov. In the state of New Jersey, he won’t be made to give over a portion to the commission, as in other states.
For Lineker, who has drawn the ire of UFC president Dana White for missing weight in three of his five previous fights, his chance at a title may have been compromised as well. His UFC 169 main card bout against Bagautinov is thought to have title implications, but that now grows cloudy if Lineker wins. As a repeat offender for missing weight, he is playing into one of the UFC’s greatest pet peeves — that of not making weight. The question will be, can the UFC trust him with a title shot, in which case he’d have to get down to 125 on the dot, now that he’s missed weight in four of his six UFC fights?
Meanwhile, the UFC 169 bantamweight headliners both came in on weight. Challenger Urijah Faber (134.5) and champion Renan Barao (135) both was cut and lean as they squared off after the scale. The two met at UFC 149 in Calgary for the interim title back in 2012.
“The difference is I’m going to win this time,” Faber said to Joe Rogan afterwards. “It’s going to be a war, a real war. I’m going to get that strap.”
“I hope to knock him out,” the 26-year old Barao countered. “I’m here to fight one of the best in the world and I’m here to win.”
Likewise, the co-main event title fight is official as well. Featherweight champion Jose Aldo came in at 145 pounds on the nose, and the Chicago-based challenger Ricardo Lamas came in half a pound lighter, at 144.5.
(Per UFC officials, Lineker made the 126-pound limit on his second try. He won’t forfeit any of his fight purse).
UFC 169 main card (10 p.m. EST)
Urijah Faber (134.5) vs. Renan Barao (135)
Ricardo Lamas (144.5) vs. Jose Aldo (145)
Alistair Overeem (257) vs. Frank Mir (256.5)
Ali Bagautinov (126) vs. John Lineker (127)
Abel Trujillo (155.5) vs. Jamie Varner (156)
FOX Sports 1 prelims (8 p.m. EST)
Alan Patrick (155.5) vs. John Makdessi (155)
Danny Martinez (125.5) vs. Chris Cariaso (125)
Tom Watson (185.5) vs. Nick Catone (185.5)
Kevin Lee (155.5) vs. Al Iaquinta (155)
UFC Fight Pass prelims (6:30 p.m. EST)
Andy Enz (184.5) vs. Clint Hester (185.5)
Rashid Magomedov (155) vs. Tony Martin (155.5)
Gasan Umalatov (170) vs. Neil Magny (170.25)