https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YxzO7LM25Ks
Before the co-main event got started at UFC 207, T.J. Dillashaw and John Lineker went toe-to-toe inside the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. While the bout wasn’t a guaranteed title eliminator, Dillashaw certainly fought as if it was.
The Elevation Fight Team member turned in a dominant performance, sweeping the scorecards 30-26. Lineker never got started and what happened to him in the first round certainly didn’t help. “Hands of Stone” told MMAFighting.com that his jaw was broken in the opening frame thanks to a head kick:
“I felt a pop right away. I wasn’t dizzy or anything like that, but I felt a pop. I thought ‘it was just the kick, no problem,’ but it started to hurt a lot in the second round. I truly felt it in the third, when I took all of his punches.”
Lineker thought he was in the clear post-fight until he tried eating. At that point, the bantamweight, “felt the pain and it didn’t stop.”
“Hands of Stone” was in so much pain that he underwent an MRI immediately. That’s when the diagnosis was revealed.
“It was time to go back to the hotel, and I couldn’t handle the pain anymore. I told my wife to call my manager, and I couldn’t wait until the next morning. We called the UFC doctor, and they sent me back to the hotel to do some exams, and a MRI showed two fractures.”
It’s a tough situation for Lineker, who is known for his exciting style. “Hands of Stone” has never been one to shy away from trading shots with his opponents. It cost him at UFC 207 against the former bantamweight champion. Lineker was handed a six-month medical suspension by the Nevada State Athletic Commission (NSAC). He can return sooner if he is cleared by an ENT or oral maxillofacial surgeon.
