John Lineker (21-6, 2-1 UFC) vs. Jose Maria Tome (33-3 2 NC, 0-0 UFC)
A high-level flyweight bout with potential title implications opens the night’s main card of UFC 163 as Lineker takes on the debuting Tome. Lineker has won two straight fights following a loss in his UFC debut. He last fought in May when he defeated Azamat Gashimov. Lineker is 15-1 over his last 16 bouts. Tome debuts with the UFC riding a 17-fight unbeaten streak, and he has just three losses in a fight career that has spanned 38 fights.
Fight Breakdown- Despite the fact that most casual fight fans will likely have no clue about either Lineker or Tome, this is a very high-level flyweight fight with two talented fighters. Lineker could be the next man in line for a title shot at 125 pounds as he is coming in off two straight solid wins. He lost his debut against Louis Gaudinot, which was his only loss over his last 16 fights dating back to 2009, in a very entertaining fight. After two wins over Yasuhiro Urushitani and Azamat Gashimov, Lineker has the chance to showcase his well-rounded skills on a UFC pay-per-view card. His win over Gashimov just over three months ago was the most complete performance of his career, and he showed that knockout power that could reak havoc in the flyweight division.
Tome is nicknamed “No Chance” because his team says you have no chance against him, and he is a dangerous fighter who loves to finish fights. Of his 33 wins, 28 have come by a finish, and he mixes it up between knockouts and submissions as he has 15 knockout wins and 13 submission wins. Tome hasn’t lost since July 2008, and is in the midst of an impressive 17-fight unbeaten streak that has seen him net 14 stoppage wins. When the UFC announced a flyweight division, many expected him to be a member of the division eventually, and after Phil Harris dropped out of this bout due to injury, the call finally came to the 31-year-old who debuted over nine years ago.
Both men are aggressive fighters, and Lineker has an all-out relentless style of attack fighting, and he is a very exciting fighter to watch. He loves to finish with his hands, and he has gotten to share the nickname of another heavy-handed fighter, Sam Stout, as both are known as “Hands Of Stone”. Lineker likes to set a furious pace as he attacks with hard punches, and is one of the best at 125 pounds in attacking the body with punches. He has a complete striking package, and he is vicious on the feet. If you had to pick one fighter at 125 pounds who could finish a fight, it would be Lineker. Tome is a good striker, but he tends to keep his hands low, and he does not have the power that Lineker does. Tome would be best served using his striking to set up taking the fight to the mat.
Lineker can be taken down, but his takedown defense has gotten much improved. Tome has good ground control and transitions positions well, and his submission game is solid, and Lineker can be submitted. Lineker should look to sprawl when the takedown attempt comes, and if he can’t stop the takedown, Tome will smother him with ground-and-pound and positional changes. Lineker can get reckless with his striking, so Tome should be patient and hope that Lineker begins to fade as Tome could steal the win in the latter stages of the fight. That is a lot to ask, though, as Lineker will be fighting furiously and Tome will need to survive a barrage of strikes from Lineker. Tome’s habit of dropping his hands will only play into Lineker’s advantage, and his power will set the tone of the fight. This is the chance for Lineker to prove he’s ready for a title shot, and he gets the job done with an impressive stoppage.
Why It Matters- With Demetrious Johnson beginning to clean out the challengers in the flyweight division, Lineker looks to be next in line if he scores a win on Saturday night. It would be three in a row for Lineker, and John Moraga got a title shot recently with just two straight wins. An impressive win for Lineker will earn him that shot, and he seems like he has as good of a chance of defeating Johnson as anyone in the division does.
Tome has wanted the chance to fight in the UFC for a long time, and while it may not be the best situation possible coming in as a short-notice injury replacement, he is looking to make the most of his chance. A win over a high-level, talented fighter like Lineker will establish him as a potential title challenger, and a loss won’t hurt him as much as we will see him again in the UFC.
Prediction- Lineker
