Tag: Rankings/List

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.

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The road to UFC 183 on Saturday was well-lit, smoothly paved, flat as a board and straight as an arrow. The lane markings were crisp and clean. The exit signs sparkled like emeralds in the headlights.

Or at least they would have, had there been any. But there was no getting away from the main event Saturday night, not for MMA fans.

Anderson Silva is, in an absolute worst-case scenario, the third-best fighter in the history of MMA. He’s arguably No. 1. And before the longtime middleweight champ lost twice to Chris Weidman—the second time suffering a grisly broken leg in the cage that sidelined him for 14 months—there was no arguing.

Now he’s back. His leg is healed, but what about that space between his ears? At 39 years of age, does he have the skills and the sand to regain the high ground in the division he once ruled from on high like a despot?

His return fight came against a guy named Nick Diaz. The iconoclastic welterweight moved up a division to realize a bit of a personal dream and face Silva. But this also was a return for Diaz, following a 22-month, semi-self-imposed semi-retirement of his own. 

Both men are wildly popular, especially in hardcore fan circles. Both men are known for striking and taunting people during said striking. Both men were returning to the cage after facing various obstacles outside of it. Both men were facing questions upon their returns. 

Who could rekindle a career? Who was destined for the novelty circuit? Would they just taunt each other for 25 minutes?

And this was just the main event. What happened elsewhere on the 11-fight slate? What really happened, and what do you need to know? As always, the final stat lines only reveal so much. Here are the real winners and losers from UFC 183.

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UFC 183 is scheduled for Saturday. The event features a strong main card highlighted by an intriguing middleweight showdown between two mixed martial arts icons, Anderson Silva and Nick Diaz.

Silva is often cited as the sport’s most accomplished figure. He holds the record for most UFC title defenses and, at the summit of his career, cultivated an aura of invincibility that few other greats have so much as approached.

Back-to-back losses to current champ Chris Weidman and a gruesome leg injury have since pushed Silva out of the spotlight…until now. He’ll look to reascend the 185-pound ranks and reclaim his title. First stop on the rebound is Diaz.

Diaz is an enigmatic fighter who has shown the skills and grittiness to compete at the highest level. Suspect focus and inconsistency have stunted his career, but a win over Silva, even now, would do much for bolstering his legacy.

Beyond the headliner, the UFC 183 main card features an additional four bouts that range from lightweight to middleweight. As always the Bleacher Report picks crew is ready to supply you with our forecasts for the upcoming show.

Read on for predictions by Riley “Rahvin” Kontek, James “Machin Shin” MacDonald, Sean “Sammael” Smith, Scott “Shai’tan” Harris and Craig “Aginor” Amos.

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