Sherdog.com’s 2014 Round of the Year

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4. John Lineker vs. Alptekin Ozkilic -- Round 3
UFC Fight Night “Cerrone vs. Miller”
July 16 | Atlantic City, N.J.

During most of his UFC tenure, Lineker’s most formidable adversary has been the scale. However, when the hard-hitting Brazilian made trip to Atlantic City, N.J., to face Ozkilic at UFC Fight Night “Cerrone vs. Miller,” making the flyweight limit was not an issue.

The benefits of an effective weight cut were evident in his hard-fought affair with Ozkilic, who started out strong but was unable to match his opponent’s pace down the stretch. With the bout potentially tied on the scorecards after two rounds, the new-look Lineker came out on a mission. After a spirited initial exchange, “Hands of Stone” waved his hands in an attempt to engage the crowd at the Revel Casino.

If anything, he fired up himself, which led to a relentless barrage of hard punches to the head and body. Ozkilic remained in the fight, getting in his licks with effective counters while absorbing a steady stream of punishment. On a different night, his tenacity would have paid off and Lineker’s pace might have slowed, but not this time. In addition to his traditional power punches, Lineker worked behind a solid jab, a relatively underutilized addition to his arsenal.

Ozkilic tried in vain to bring the action to the ground, but Lineker kept the fight in his wheelhouse by thwarting both of his foe’s takedown tries in the third stanza. Eventually, a bloodied Ozkilic began to drop his hands more frequently, a byproduct of Lineker’s diligent rib roasting. After stuffing one last takedown, Lineker ate an overhand right but responded by cracking Ozkilic with an uppercut. A left hook to the head followed and, finally, “The Turkish Delight” hit the canvas. The blows that followed were but a mere formality, and referee Keith Peterson moved in to halt what had been a highly entertaining last round.

It was a message to flyweight division about how dangerous an on-point Lineker could really be. In the aftermath, he vowed that his troubles making weight were a thing of the past.

“That’s not going to be an issue anymore," Lineker said. “I have over 30 fights in this division, so I think it’s a good place for me.”

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