It turns out moving up to bantamweight was not the cure he sought.
John Lineker, who joined the UFC's 135-pound division after missing the 125-pound flyweight limit on four separate occasions, missed weight for a fifth time Friday in advance of his main event bout Saturday with John Dodson.
According to Mike Bohn of MMA Junkie, that's a UFC record.
John Linker just missed weight for UFC Portland main event. 136.5. His fifth time missing weigh in UFC (the most ever).
— Mike Bohn (@MikeBohnMMA) September 30, 2016
John Lineker is 9-2 against UFC fighters, 7-5 against UFC scales. #UFCPortland
— Mark La Monica (@LaMonicaMark) September 30, 2016
According to Shaun Al-Shatti of MMA Fighting, Lineker also joins current light heavyweight Anthony Johnson as the only UFC fighters to miss weight in two different weight classes.
In non-title fights, fighters typically have a pound of leeway, meaning the true upper limit for Lineker was 136 pounds. Lineker weighed in at 136.5.
As a result, Lineker now surrenders 20 percent of his purse to Dodson, although the fight will still headline Saturday's UFC Fight Night 96 card in Portland, Oregon. He is also not eligible for a post-fight bonus, per UFC custom.
The winner between Dodson (18-7) and Lineker (28-7) was widely expected to be in line for a shot at current bantamweight champ Dominick Cruz. Should he win, it is not clear whether or to what extent that title shot would materialize for Lineker.
It would not come as a surprise, however, to see this further erode trust between Lineker and UFC brass. For all his popularity and the excitement he brings as a big-time knockout artist, Lineker is simply not disciplined enough to make weight, it would seem.
No other UFC fighter has ever failed to miss weight more than three times.
There must be something in the water in Portland, as two other fighters also failed to make weight for the event. Alex Oliveira, facing Will Brooks in the evening's co-main event, tipped the scales at 161.5 pounds—5.5 pounds over the bout's 155-pound lightweight limit.
Hacran Dias, who faces Andre Fili on the evening's undercard, missed the 145-pound featherweight limit by 2.5 pounds when he weighed in at 148.5 pounds.
