This article would have looked very different had John Lineker managed to make the flyweight limit for his UFC 183 bout with Ian McCall. The Brazilian didn’t just cost himself a shot at Demetrious Johnson’s 125-pound title, but he now finds himself with an entire division’s worth of new opponents, per Steven Marrocco and John Morgan of MMA Junkie.
Despite looking impressive in his win over McCall, one cannot help but feel that Lineker won’t be celebrating too hard. He’s a natural flyweight, so it’s unclear why he is having issues with the weight.
Lineker has enough power to carry up to bantamweight, but he’ll be at a distinct size disadvantage. His best bet is to reel off a few wins at 135 and then hope he can convince the UFC to give him another crack at flyweight.
In the meantime, let’s look at some potential opponents for the Brazilian.