The UFC’s return to Portland, Ore., on October 1 now has its main event, as FoxSports.com reports with confirmation from the UFC that John Dodson and John Lineker will meet in the five round headliner.
Lineker gets his second straight main event after capitalizing on the opportunity in July. The longtime flyweight met Michael McDonald on that card, and after an injury to Michael Chiesa took him out of the original main event with Tony Ferguson, the Lineker-McDonald bout was shifted to the top. The extremely exciting Brazilian added another impressive highlight to his record when he stopped McDonald in the first round. That was his fifth straight win and ninth overall in 11 UFC bouts.
Dodson, the bantamweight winner of The Ultimate Fighter’s 14th season, established himself as a contender when he moved down to flyweight, fighting dominant champion Demetrious “Mighty Mouse” Johnson twice for that division’s title. After the second loss to Johnson he returned to 135 lbs., where he took out Manny Gamburyan in just 37 seconds in May.
The UFC’s Oct. 1 event serves as UFC Fight Night 96, and is the organization’s first event in the city since UFC 102 in August of 2009.
Penick’s Analysis: This is a damned good fight, and points to some differing plans for some of the other contenders in the division. Dodson and Lineker could have met up eventually at flyweight, so to have them now face off in a five round bout (which they’re unlikely to need) is a very exciting prospect. The fans in Portland have a great fight coming to them.
[Photo (c) Bill Streicher via USA Today Sports]
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