Matches to Make After UFC Fight Night ‘Lineker vs. Dodson’

Power and volume gave John Lineker his recipe for success. The former Jungle Fight champion moved one step closer to the top of the Ultimate Fighting Championship bantamweight division with a split decision over John Dodson in the UFC Fight Night 96 main event on Saturday at the Moda Center in Portland, Oregon. Scores were 48-47 across the board, with two of the cageside judges favoring Lineker.Dodson played matador for much of the 25-minute affair, retreating and circling away from the notoriously heavy-handed Brazilian. He landed at a far more efficient clip than Lineker, but his lack of output proved costly. According to FightMetric data, Dodson outstruck the man they call “Hands of Stone” 101-94 but threw 132 fewer strikes. The fight was likely won and lost in the middle rounds: Lineker out-landed the Jackson-Wink MMA mainstay in the second (16-15) and fourth (27-22) while equaling him in the third (15-15). No matter how one slices it, it was undeniably close. In wake of UFC Fight Night “Lineker vs. Dodson,” here are five matches that ought to be made:John Lineker vs. Cody Garbrandt: Lineker poses a frightening challenge for anyone at 135 pounds. A pint-sized powerhouse with a granite chin and a thirst for violence, the 26-year-old has rattled off six consecutive victories at the expense of Dodson, Michael McDonald, Rob Font, Francisco Rivera, Ian McCall and Alptekin Ozkilic. Lineker showed his motor in going five rounds with the elusive Dodson, a fact which adds another layer of difficulty when confronting him. Garbrandt last appeared at UFC 202 …

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