A spot at the top of the crowded bantamweight ranks was up for grabs when John Lineker met John Dodson in the main event of tonight’s (Sat., October 1, 2016) UFC Fight Night 96 from Moda Center in Portland Oregon. The fight promised to be a rock ’em, sock ’em sort of bout between two of the
A spot at the top of the crowded bantamweight ranks was up for grabs when John Lineker met John Dodson in the main event of tonight’s (Sat., October 1, 2016) UFC Fight Night 96 from Moda Center in Portland Oregon.
The fight promised to be a rock ’em, sock ’em sort of bout between two of the heaviest 135-pound hitters in the world, and it didn’t fail to deliver. In a back-and-forth, five-round affair, Dodson and Lineker traded an endless amount of shots in a close fight. Dodson was the more accurate fighter and kept the movement level high to land several high kicks, while Lineker utilized his trademark pressure to batter ‘The Magician’ with a brutal torrent of body shots and hooks.
In the end, Lineker took home a very closely-contested split decision.
Watch the full fight video highlights of the rising Brazilian contender’s biggest win right here:
UFC Portland popped off from the Moda Center in Oregon’s largest city tonight (October 1, 2016). The main event pit former flyweight knockout artists who have since climbed the scale up to bantamweight, John Dodson and John Lineker. The Brazilian, who had well-documented troubles making the 125-pound limit at flyweight, did not leave his troubles with
UFC Portland popped off from the Moda Center in Oregon’s largest city tonight (October 1, 2016). The main event pit former flyweight knockout artists who have since climbed the scale up to bantamweight, John Dodson and John Lineker. The Brazilian, who had well-documented troubles making the 125-pound limit at flyweight, did not leave his troubles with the scale behind. Lineker once again failed to make weight.
The two diminutive punchers went at it for the full five rounds, bashing each other with hard shots all the while. The crowd became restless with Dodson’s movement and reluctance to engage at times, but he remained effective with his offense nonetheless. ‘The Magician’ was particularly effective with his kicks, catching ‘Hands of Stone’ flush to head more than once. But Lineker continued to press forward and land thudding punches to the head and body. The Brazilian escaped with a split decision victory, but many fans were split on who they thought the victor was.
The co-headliner saw former Bellator champion ‘Ill’ Will Brooks in his sophomore UFC effort take on Alex Oliveira. The Brazilian ‘Cowboy’ also had serious trouble finishing his weight cut, actually coming in 5.5 pounds above the non-title lightweight limit of 156.
The size difference was evident from the get-go, and Oliveira made it work to his advantage. He had success in the clinch with his size and strength advantages and hurt Brooks’ rib with a knee. The injury worsened as the fight wore on, and by the third round, Brooks was grimacing in every position. ‘Cowboy’ pounded out the obviously compromised Brooks, and then taunted him by doing a crotch chop and a chin flip. An incensed Brooks staggered to his feet to pursue Oliveira and threw his mouthpiece at him when referee Herb Dean held him back. Brooks then collapsed back to the canvas in agony, the momentum he carried over from Bellator at an abrupt end.
The main card kicked off with The Ultimate Fighter (TUF) 24 contestant Brandon Moreno taking on the biggest favorite on the card, Louis Smolka. ‘Assassin Baby’ snatched a first-round high-elbow guillotine choke for the biggest win of his career. Moreno was making a short-notice debut for the injured Sergio Pettis. After losing his fight on the show, Moreno no longer has to worry about sticking around the big show.
Check out MMA Twitter’s reaction to these exciting scraps below:
It definitely pays to cheat in MMA. If you can get away with it, DO IT. Rewards much bigger than the small penalties.
Exactly. I'm all for getting into a fight. But you just look pretty silly doing all of that. Class in victory and class in defeat. https://t.co/P9UdkRrhjQ
The main event of UFC Fight Night 96 caused most mixed martial arts (MMA) fans to think of one question. “Who will knock out who?” The question was posed with good reason. If you were to combine the number of professional knockouts from John Lineker (29-7) and John Dodson (18-8), you’d get 22. While that
The main event of UFC Fight Night 96 caused most mixed martial arts (MMA) fans to think of one question. “Who will knock out who?” The question was posed with good reason. If you were to combine the number of professional knockouts from John Lineker (29-7) and John Dodson (18-8), you’d get 22.
While that number didn’t increased, fans were greeted to an exciting 135-pound (kind of) scrap. In the end, it was Lineker who was given the nod.
Dodson kicked the leg of Lineker to get the fight underway. Lineker connected with a punch to the body. A body kick landed for Dodson under his opponent’s punch. “The Magician” looked to use his speed to get in and out. He landed a head kick, but Lineker didn’t seem deterred. “Hands of Stone” landed a left hook. Dodson took his opponent to the mat, but there was no top control. The round ended with Lineker throwing a knee to the body and Dodson charging forward.
Dodson continued to use his speed in the second round. Lineker moved forward, but couldn’t catch his opponent. A straight left hand cracked Lineker. “Hands of Stone” made fun of Dodson and said he was running. Lineker landed a left hand, but he got kneed below the belt and time was called. The fight resumed and the two exchanged. Lineker landed a left hook. Dodson moved forward, but Lineker got the better of him. An uppercut landed for “The Magician.” Another left hand found the target for “Hands of Stone.” The round ended with Dodson going for a head kick.
The third round began and a low kick followed by a high one connected for Dodson. The two exchanged big shots with about three minutes and 30 seconds left in the round. A body kick landed for “The Magician.” Lineker fired back with a left hook. Dodson got hit with a right hook as he backed up. The round later ended and the crowd was pleased with the action to this point.
A body kick landed for Dodson early in the fourth frame. The two exchanged with Dodson getting the better of it. A one-two combination popped Lineker. Dodson level changed and Lineker lost his balance on his opponent’s takedown attempt. “Hands of Stone” chased down his opponent and landed some punches. He landed a combination. A body punch slowed down Dodson a bit. The round later came to a close.
The final frame began and Dodson slipped throwing a punch. Lineker looked a bit slower in the final round. Even Dodson took his foot off the gas a bit. He threw another high kick and Lineker’s right eye kept swelling. “Hands of Stone” moved forward and landed a left hand and a body shot. A left hand found the mark for Dodson. A right hand from Dodson got Lineker off balance. A takedown scored for “The Magician” and he got the back of his opponent. Lineker shook him off. The final horn sounded and both men raised their arms after an exciting bantamweight tilt.
Two of the three judges scored the fight for “Hands of Stone.”
Final Result: John Lineker def. John Dodson via split decision (47-48, 48-47, 48-47)
Portland is ready for UFC Fight Night 96, but the card doesn’t come without some last-minute controversy.
For the fifth time in his UFC career, John Lineker missed weight. The main event bout was scheduled for the bantamweight division, but now it is f…
Portland is ready for UFC Fight Night 96, but the card doesn’t come without some last-minute controversy.
For the fifth time in his UFC career, John Lineker missed weight. The main event bout was scheduled for the bantamweight division, but now it is forced into being a catchweight contest.
Also coming in overweight is Alex Oliveira (h/t MMAjunkie). The co-main event is also now a catchweight bout. Oliveira meets former Bellator lightweight champion Will Brooks.
The first fight of the evening gets underway at 7:15 p.m. ET. Bleacher Report will be chronicling the event from top-to-bottom. Come back for complete coverage of the UFC’s return to Portland.
UFC Fight Night 96 Main Card (Fox Sports 1, 11 p.m. ET)
Ahead of tonight’s UFC Fight Night 96 event in Portland, Oregon were the official weigh-ins featuring all of the fighters scheduled for tonight’s FS1 card.
Featured above is a complete video archive of the weigh-ins, …
https://youtu.be/RKCg32Oo_F0
Ahead of tonight’s UFC Fight Night 96 event in Portland, Oregon were the official weigh-ins featuring all of the fighters scheduled for tonight’s FS1 card.
Featured above is a complete video archive of the weigh-ins, which were held on Friday afternoon in Portland.
Check back at MMANews.com this evening for a complete UFN 96 report.
Main card (FOX Sports 1 at 11 p.m. ET)
John Lineker (136.5 *missed weight) vs. John Dodson (135)
Will Brooks (156) vs. Alex Oliveira (161.5 * missed weight)
Josh Burkman (171) vs. Zak Ottow (171)
Louis Smolka (146) vs. Brandon Moreno (126)
Undercard (FOX Sports 2 at 9 p.m. ET)
Luis Henrique da Silva (206) vs. Joachim Christensen (205)
Hacran Dias (148.5 * missed weight) vs. Andre Fili (146)
Shamil Abdurakhimov (256) vs. Walt Harris (254)
Keita Nakamura (170.5) vs. Elizeu Zaleski dos Santos (171)
Undercard (UFC Fight Pass at 7:15 p.m. ET)
Nate Marquardt (186) vs. Tamdan McCrory (185)
Jonathan Wilson (205) vs. Ion Cutelaba (206)
Cody East (251) vs. Curtis Blaydes (265.5)
Kelly Faszholz (134.5) vs. Ketlen Viera (136)
Most of the news in MMA this week has obviously been focused on Conor McGregor and his lightweight title bout against 155-pound champ Eddie Alvarez in the main event of November’s UFC 205 from New York, but the promotion still has a card scheduled for this weekend in the form of UFC Fight Night 96
Most of the news in MMA this week has obviously been focused on Conor McGregor and his lightweight title bout against 155-pound champ Eddie Alvarez in the main event of November’s UFC 205 from New York, but the promotion still has a card scheduled for this weekend in the form of UFC Fight Night 96 from Portland, Oregon.
In the main event, surging knockout puncher John Lineker will meet division returnee John Dodson for a chance a prime bantamweight positioning in the suddenly deep-stacked 135-pound class. Lineker has won five straight including two by knockout and one by submission, while Dodson recently ran through Manny Gamburyan and has only lost to pound-for-pound king Demetrious Johnson since late 2009. In the co-main event, former Bellator lightweight champion Will Brooks will continue his attempt to ruse up the UFC ranks against the exciting Alex Oliveira.
Will it be “Hands of Stone” or “The Magician” who puts on the best performance in Portland? Find out who we picked below:
John Lineker vs. John Dodson:
Mike Drahota:
This fight is flying under the radar, especially during a week where potentially the biggest card of all-time was announced. Still, this is one of the most explosive 135-pound bouts the UFC could have put on, and I wouldn’t be surprised to see either fighter win with a brutal KO
No. 3-ranked Lineker is actually a +101 underdog to No. 10 and -121 favorite Dodson according to BigOnSports.com, but that could be a bold prediction. “Hands of Stone” has shown a willingness to slug it out with any bantamweight as evident by his recent wins over Michael McDonald and Francisco Rivera, and he appears to have a chin to match his hands.
Dodson is always a dangerous out who can end a fight shockingly fast, and his wrestling is solid as well. I just think Lineker’s pressure will allow him to out-score Dodson, opening up the way for a finish in the middle rounds. Lineker by round three TKO.
Rory Kernaghan:
Both John Lineker and his namesake Dodson have serious power in their hands, and both have carried it up from flyweight to bantamweight. The big difference between their styles is in the way they deliver this power. Dodson utilizes great footwork and speed, whereas Lineker is one of your stand-and-bang type strikers. Neither man has ever been finished by strikes, in fact ‘The Magician’ has never been stopped. In this fight I can’t see Dodson overcoming that scary power of ‘Hands of Stone,’ the match up reminds me too much of Lineker vs. McCall. I don’t think we’ll see a finish, but I predict a decision win for John Lineker.
Will Brooks vs. Alex Oliveira:
Mike Drahota:
Brooks was impressive as Bellator champ but looked a bit flat in his UFC debut win over Ross Pearson, something that could be attributed to the “Octagon jitters” we often see from hyped competitors.
“Ill” now needs to prove he belongs amongst the top 155-pound fighters in the world, and I think Oregon will be the perfect place for him to do so. Brazilian “Cowboy” Oliveira is a tough, unique fighter who brings a strong submission game, but he’s not one that Brooks, who rates as a -280 favorite according to BigOnSports, should be unable to outclass on the feet. I do not think it will end with a stoppage, however. Brooks by unanimous decision.
Rory Kernaghan:
Former Bellator lightweight champion Will Brooks is perhaps the brightest prospect in the division. That said, Alex Oliveira is going to be huge at lightweight, if he can make the limit that is. It’s been a few years since ‘Cowboy’ fought at 155 pounds, and now there’s no IV rehydration to help either. The Brazilian has some nice hands and ground game, but I feel the wrestling base and hard hands of Brooks will be too much. I’m predicting a second round KO for Will Brooks.
