Rivalries: John Lineker

John Lineker brings the potential for showstopping violence wherever he goes.

The American Top Team and OCS Jiu-Jitsu representative carries a 34-9 record that includes 16 wins by knockout or technical knockout, hence the “Hands of Stone” nickname. Lineker has rattled off 11 victories across his past 13 appearances, losing only to Elevation Fight Team standout Cory Sandhagen and former Ultimate Fighting Championship bantamweight titleholder T.J. Dillashaw. Currently on a three-fight winning streak, he last competed under the One Championship banner in the One on TNT 3 main event, where he knocked out Troy Worthen in the first round of their April 21 encounter.

As Lineker awaits word on his next assignment from One Championship matchmakers, a look at some of the rivalries that have helped shape his career:

Ali Bagautinov

Multiple takedowns, stout ground-and-pound and unshakable resolve carried the two-time combat sambo world champion to a unanimous decision over Lineker in a UFC 169 flyweight feature on Feb. 1, 2014 at the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey. Bagautinov swept the scorecards with matching 29-28 counts in what was his 11th consecutive victory. Lineker had his moments. The former Jungle Fight champion tore into Bagautinov with a wicked series of body blows in the middle stanza, forcing the Dagestani flyweight to dive for takedowns out of sheer self-preservation. However, the first and third rounds belonged to Bagautinov, as he grounded and neutralized the heavy-handed Brazilian. He closed with a flourish, securing four takedowns over the final five minutes.

John Dodson

Lineker never quit pursuing his prey, as the former Jungle Fight champion improved his position in the Ultimate Fighting Championship bantamweight pecking order with a split decision over Dodson in the UFC Fight Night 96 headliner on Oct. 1, 2016 at the Moda Center in Portland, Oregon. Judges Sal D’Amato and Glenn Trowbridge saw it 48-47 for Lineker, while Marcos Rosales cast a dissenting 48-47 nod in Dodson’s direction. Both men stayed true to their roots. Dodson utilized circular movement and quick hands, forcing the notoriously powerful Brazilian to chase him around the cage for the better part of five rounds. Lineker obliged and encountered stiff resistance whenever he managed to corner “The Magician.” Dodson clipped him with several head kicks and sweeping left hooks, but his output left something to be desired. The same could not be said for Lineker, who cut loose with punches to the body and head for the full 25 minutes. Dodson did some of his best work in the fifth round, where he ripped a series of left hooks into the tiring Lineker’s head, executed a takedown and advanced to the back. He landed another head kick for good measure in the closing seconds, though it came in a losing effort.

T.J. Dillashaw

“Hands of Stone” tried and failed to move into position as a true bantamweight contender, as he dropped a lopsided unanimous decision to Dillashaw in their UFC 207 showcase on Dec. 30, 2016 at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. All three cageside judges scored it 30-26. Lineker conceded five takedowns in the three-round affair, as his cagy counterpart steered clear of his light-switch punching power by pinning him to the canvas repeatedly. Dillashaw grounded the Brazilian in all three rounds and outstruck him by a 177-51 margin that included a 71-38 spread in significant strikes. He paired positional control with ground-and-pound throughout the 15-minute affair, mounted Lineker in the second round and had grown so confident by the third that he even attempted a calf slicer. Though the brazen maneuver did not achieve the desired result, the writing was on the wall.

Cory Sandhagen

Sandhagen planted his flag among the divisional elite and announced his arrival as a serious player at 135 pounds with a split decision over Lineker in a UFC Fight Night 150 bantamweight feature on April 27, 2019 at the BB&T Center in Sunrise, Florida. All three cageside judges scored it 29-28: Derek Cleary and Barry Luxenberg for Sandhagen, Chris Lee for Lineker. Sandhagen outlanded the former Jungle Fight champion by narrow margins in the first and second rounds, finishing the fight with a 120-106 advantage in significant strikes. The Elevation Fight Team star was effective on the counter, pressed forward with leg kicks, mixed in a few tactical takedowns and survived an attempted guillotine choke. It marked the heavy-handed Lineker’s final appearance inside the Octagon. The Brazilian was released by the UFC in a surprising move some three months later and signed with One Championship as a free agent soon after.