The first two fights on the UFC Fight Night: Machida vs. Brunson main card saw bantamweight John Lineker return to the Octagon in victorious fashion, as he bested Marlon Vera on the scorecards, while Thiago Santos blitzed Jack Hermansson to earn a buzzer-beating TKO in round 1. Here’s how the fights played out.
John Lineker def. Marlon Vera by unanimous decision (30-27, 29-28, 29-28) - Bantamweights
The first two or three minutes of round 1 was a cautious affair, with Vera throwing kicks at range and Lineker occasionally throwing to the body and firing off leg kicks of his own. As the round progressed, Lineker loaded up on his trademark power punches, attacking the body and the head in waves.
Vera was more aggressive to start round 2, landing hard kicks to the midsection and body. Lineker responded with more punishing body punches. Vera connected with a hook kick and a knee and Lineker just smiled before pushing forward for a takedown, which he would not complete. In a surprise move, Lineker channeled his inner Dennis Siver and landed a spinning back kick. Vera was getting tagged by the power punches from the diminutive Brazilian, but he took them well. Most of Vera’s success came from his kicks and knees, but not so much with his hands. Vera got put off balance from a kick and Lineker went into his guard. From there, Lineker dropped some hard elbows and punches before letting Vera up to end the 2nd round.
To begin round 3, Vera caught Lineker with a high kick but then was swarmed by another slew of hard punches against the fence. There were plenty of solid moments of offense for the Ecuadorian, but Lineker’s chin is evidently made of something even harder than granite. The counter-knees of Vera made Lineker have a little more trouble walking his opponent down. Lineker returned to the body-head combinations and continued to get hit with step-in knees and off the Muay Thai clinch. It was a solid third-round for “Chito” Vera but not enough to get the decision. Lineker gets back in the win column after a ten-month layoff caused by the broken jaw in his loss to T.J. Dillashaw, while Vera’s three-fight win streak is no more.
Thiago Santos def. Jack Hermansson by TKO (strikes) at 4:59 of round 1 - Middleweights
Normally a southpaw, Santos switched stances and had a predominantly orthodox position. Hermansson had a takedown stuffed and was soon hurt by several shots, but stayed upright and relatively composed. The majority of Thiago’s offense came from power punches and not his notoriously brutal kicks. A jumping body kick followed by a combination of punches backed Hermansson up, and a left uppercut put him down. An onslaught of follow-up punches on the ground ended the fight just before the horn sounded. A truly sensational showing from “Marreta” to pick up his third win in a row. As for Hermansson, his UFC record drops to 3-2, and it’s his first career TKO loss.