John Lineker should’ve fought for a world title a long time ago. The problem is that he’s not been able to consistently make flyweight when by all rights he might be the hardest hitting fighter in MMA and an exquisitely interesting challenge for Demetrious Johnson. Now all he has to do is make weight … and take out a hungry Russian fighter. Neither appears to be an easy task, though.
Fight Breakdown – John Lineker loves throwing hands and lights flyweights up with his power. Ali Bagautinov is nicknamed “The Puncher King.” If you don’t expect this to be a handsy affair … well … hopefully you’re wrong. This has all the feeling of a wild, sloppy slugfest that winds up with someone being forcefully concussed.
Both guys are elite flyweights, skilled everywhere the fight goes, but neither is really known for doing much outside of just throwing hands. Both guys love to throw down and my best guess is they come wanting to see who can land first and best. And whoever does will earn the win. Simple as that.
Why It Matters – Lineker is expressly guaranteed a title shot here with a win and a successful trip to the weight scale. If he can do both, especially with a finish of the Russian, he’s got a shot at “Mighty Mouse” for the flyweight title. That much is for sure.
If Bagautinov manages to win here it’ll be interesting to see if he gets the next shot as well. Johnson has effectively taken down every challenger in the division, some multiple times, and thus he could get the shot by default.
Prediction – Lineker
