What’s the story?
During the exciting Bantamweight clash between TJ Dillashaw and John Lineker at UFC 207, the two prospects battled it out to determine the next contender for the Bantamweight belt.
Dillashaw broke Lineker’s jaw in the very first round and went on to dominate and control the powerful Brazilian for the rest of the fight, as the former champion TJ Dillashaw earned a unanimous decision victory over Lineker.
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With his commanding victory over Lineker, Dillashaw screamed out for a title fight claiming if he didn’t get to fight the winner of the Cody-Dominick fight, the entire match making process is rigged.
While he was only stating his intention for a shot at the crown, Dillashaw will have to fight Cody Garbrandt, his former training partner at Team Alpha Male, if he is to become a world Champion once again and reclaim his belt.
Garbrandt overcame Cruz to become the new Champion in the co-main event of the evening, in what happened to be his finest performance in the Octagon against a veteran of the sport in ‘The Dominator’.
The heart of the matter
Speaking to mmafighting.com Lineker said,
“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 was undefeated since his move to the Bantamweight division before he faced Dillashaw, who put on a masterclass while tackling the tricky, hard-hitting Brazilian. Speaking to mmafighting.com, Lineker stated he got tagged in the very first round that resulted in his jaw breaking.
Although he goes on to state that he didn’t realise it at the time and even after the sanctioned medical check, post the fight.
“I left the Octagon and talked to the doctors, everything was normal. I could move my jaw, all normal, so they cleared me and said to let them know if I felt anything. When I went to another room to eat something and watch the fights, I felt the pain and it didn’t stop.”
What’s next?
Dillashaw is now the clear Number One contender to take on No Love for his belt, while Lineker could face the former Champion Cruz. However, this is all predicated on what the current Champion would like to do.
Garbrandt did mention in the post-fight press conference that he would like to give Cruz a rematch, however, he has contradicted that statement since.
Sportskeeda’s take
Although Dillashaw claimed a deserved victory, we have to credit Lineker for battling through the pain with a broken jaw, as he looks to get his game back on track after a disappointing but high-intensity fight with a former champion.
For Dillashaw, the prospect of fighting his former teammate Garbrandt for the title looms large, in what could be one of the most anticipated fights of the new year.
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