Brian Kelleher ready to go toe-to-toe with John Lineker en route to UFC title shot

ORLANDO, Fla. – After downing former UFC champ Renan Barao, Brian Kelleher said the world should now see what he’s always known: The title will one day be his.

“It’s kind of one of those things, where like, it haunts me leading up,” Barao told MMAjunkie following his UFC on FOX 28 win. “I’m like, ‘Oh, my God, Renan Barao, Renan Barao,’ in my head every night. I go to sleep, and I try to tell myself, ‘No, you belong here. You belong here,’ because I knew that and I had self-belief. But fighting him was an honor.

“It was amazing to see where belong, to find out tonight. Now I know, this is exactly where I belong, and I’m going to make my run for a title now.”

Kelleher (19-8 MMA, 3-1 UFC) and Barao (34-6 MMA, 9-5 UFC) met in the final FOX-televised prelim of Saturday’s UFC on FOX 28, which took place at Amway Center in Orlando, Fla. Though it ultimately came up short when bonuses were awarded, it was certainly a “Fight of the Night” affair, with both men having success on the feet in the opening two rounds.

But with the fight seemingly on the line in the third, Kelleher bit down on his mouthpiece and pressed forward, unleashing a dizzying barrage of offense that seemed destined to end the fight were it not for an incredible show of will from Barao.

“I thought in the third round it could have been 1-1,” Kelleher admitted. “Maybe I was up 2-0, but I wasn’t sure, so I knew I had to go in with the killer instinct, try and finish, and man, it was tough to put that guy away, but I caught him with a lot of shots, and I think I put the pressure on in the third and took it by the last round.”

Keller took home a unanimous decision, including taking all three rounds on two of the judges’ cards.

With back-to-back impressive outings, Kelleher said he’s now ready to make a run to the top of the division, and he thinks a matchup with the heavy-handed John Lineker (30-8 MMA, 11-3 UFC) – preferably at UFC Fight Night 128 on April 21 in New Jersey – makes perfect sense.

“John Lineker is a good matchup for me,” Kelleher said. “I think that’s a guy that I should fight next. … I know I belong in the top 10, and I know I’m going to be a world champ, so I’m willing to fight anyone. I think John Lineker is just a guy that’s ready for a fight. A couple of months in Atlantic City seems perfect for me. If that’s good for him, let’s do this.

“We can stand in there and we can trade. I’m not afraid of his power. I think I can give more back.”

To hear more from Kelleher, check out the video above.

For complete coverage of UFC on FOX 28, check out the UFC Events section of the site.