Ranked eighth in the world at 135 pounds and winner of eight of his last nine bouts, John Lineker is in a good place as he approaches his Saturday bout with Cory Sandhagen.
That wasn’t exactly the situation nearly seven years ago when Lineker got his call from the UFC to join the roster and make his Octagon debut against Louis Gaudinot.
“It’s been that long?” laughed Lineker. “I was really young and didn’t understand things as well as I do now.”
Already 19-5 as a pro, Lineker had the experience and the 13-fight winning streak to warrant a spot in the UFC’s new flyweight division, but at 21 years old, he was still green and figuring out life and his career at the same time.