Don’t expect John Lineker to return to the flyweight division.
There was a time when Lineker was tearing through the Ultimate Fighting Championship’s (UFC) flyweight division. “Hands of Stone” had defeated the likes of Ian McCall, but weight cutting issues forced him to move back up to the bantamweight division.
Speaking with AG Fight, Lineker said a return to flyweight is not in the cards (via Bloody Elbow):
“No, I don’t think about dropping to flyweight anymore. I feel really well at bantamweight. Even if the UFC told me I would get a title fight if I dropped, I’m sure I wouldn’t do it, because I feel really comfortable at bantamweight. I feel a lot stronger and more precise.”
Lineker went on to give details on the jaw injury he suffered in his bout against T.J. Dillashaw back in Dec. 2016.
“I ended up getting a broken chin in the first round, with the first high kick he threw. I felt there was something wrong and that left me a little tentative, because I didn’t want to be hit in the same area again. I was afraid he would take me down or kick me, so I just hesitated. He was doing the same movement to throw the kick and for the takedown. So this high kick that broke my chin hindered me a lot in that fight.”
