UFC Fight Night 119 touched down in Sao Paulo, Brazil Saturday night, and opening the main card was a bantamweight scrap full of potential between John Lineker and Marlon Vera.
In Lineker vs. Vera, UFC Sao Paulo had perhaps the perfect opener for a televised main card. The former flyweight, Lineker, was coming off his first bantamweight loss in the UFC, to former champion T.J. Dillashaw. He retained his explosive punching power, however, and against the exciting Vera, there was a strong possibility for a finish. From either man.
From the opening bell, it was clear how undersized Lineker was in comparison to the taller, lengthier Vera. Lineker kept is right hand cocked and ready; both men displayed patience early. As the round progressed, however, Lineker began to open up, while Vera was all too often backing up. With a minute to go in the first, he found himself out of room, which allowed Lineker to connect with a flurry. Another flurry would connect for Lineker before the bell sounded; Vera had survived the opening frame, but momentum was on John Lineker’s side.
In the second, Vera would stand tall in the clinch and control the head of his opponent, but it was Lineker pressing the action again in round two. Vera would target the legs of his opponent, but Lineker continued to land the heavier shots — front and spinning back kicks to the body that were accentuated by heavy, heavy hands. A takedown at the end of the round only underlined the fact that the action was clearly in John Lineker’s favor.
The third opened with Lineker pressing his foe up against the fence, landing knees to the thigh. Vera continued to avoid engaging in a firefight, staying on the outside when he could. Lineker was again the aggressor, though Vera finally began landing a little more. Lineker’s output trailed off a little as the third progressed, but he’d done more than enough to win, taking the fight on all three judge’s scorecards.
John Lineker def. Marlon Vera by unanimous decision (30-27, 29-28, 29-28)
