Former champ Dillashaw dominates Lineker at UFC 207
— -- LAS VEGAS -- After thoroughly outclassing John Lineker at UFC 207 on Friday, former 135-pound champion? TJ Dillashaw did not mince words on what he expects next.
"If I don't get the next title shot, we all know this s--- is rigged," Dillashaw said. "I want my belt back."
Dillashaw (14-3) lost the title to Dominick Cruz via split decision in January. The Denver-based bantamweight has adamantly stated he should have won that fight. He campaigned for an immediate rematch but was paired with Raphael Assuncao in July instead. He defeated Assuncao via decision.
After the fight, Dillashaw initially called out Cruz, seeking a rematch. But Cruz went on to lose his belt to Cody Garbrandt by decision in Friday's co-main event
It will be hard to deny Dillashaw after Friday's performance. He avoided Lineker's big left hook and right hand, and kept him guessing with perfectly timed takedowns.
Lineker (29-8) continued to stalk him until the very end -- and landed several hard shots to the body in the final minute -- but fell well behind on the scorecards. All three judges scored the fight 30-26 for Dillashaw.
Dillashaw disguised his takedowns well and drew the heavy-hitting Lineker in with footwork and counterpunching. Lineker motioned to Dillashaw and the crowd, asking for a brawl, but Dillashaw continued to execute his game plan. His best work came in the second round, as he landed hard elbows from top position.
A former member of Team Alpha Male now training out of Ludwig Martial Arts, Dillashaw picked up his 10th win inside the Octagon. He won the title by knocking out Renan Barao in May 2014 and defended it twice before the narrow loss to Cruz.
Kim takes split decision from Saffiedine
In his only appearance of 2016, welterweight Dong Hyun Kim (22-3-1) picked up a split-decision nod over Tarec Saffiedine (16-6).
Two judges had the fight for Kim, 29-28. A third saw it completely in Saffiedine's favor, 30-27. ESPN.com scored the fight 29-28 for Saffiedine.
Neither fighter looked particularly sharp and the crowd booed long positional stalemates along the fence. Kim, of South Korea, was unquestionably more aggressive, but enjoyed little success. He walked into Saffiedine jabs and body kicks and was relatively ineffective in the clinch.
Other than a brief exchange early in the third round, it was a slow-paced fight start to finish. Kim did land one takedown in the third round, but was out-struck 78-57 according to Fightmetric. The win extends his current win streak to three and he has won seven of his past eight.
Borg outworks Smolka
Flyweight Ray Borg (10-2) picked up his fourth win in the UFC, defeating Louis Smolka (11-3) via unanimous decision (30-26, 30-26, 30-27).
Borg, of Albuquerque, New Mexico, showcased his superior grappling throughout the three-round bout, which was fought at 129.5 pounds because Borg missed weight. He beat out Smolka in one positional battle after another, and threatened an arm-triangle finish in the third round.
The 23-year-old is off to a 4-2 start in the UFC. His two losses have come against very good opposition in Dustin Ortiz and Justin Scoggins. He has missed weight twice in his past three bouts but expressed confidence in staying at 125 pounds.
"I have to make adjustments," Borg said. "I want to fight [champion] Demetrious Johnson someday, so I have to learn how to fix those things."
Magny sends Hendricks to a third straight defeat
Welterweight Neil Magny (19-5) narrowly defeated Johny Hendricks (17-6) via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28), in a bout contested at 173.5 pounds because Hendricks missed weight. It was Magny's fourth win in his past five fights.
The crowd booed the decision, but ESPN.com also scored it 29-28 for Magny. Hendricks, a former welterweight champion, looked to take Magny down throughout the fight and had some success doing so but scored limited offense from the top. Magny arguably won the fight from the bottom, as he attacked with elbows and multiple triangle attempts.
Once known for his powerful left hand, Hendricks did not throw many strikes on the feet. He focused almost exclusively on his wrestling and converted seven total takedowns, according to Fightmetric. Hendricks has now lost four of five and missed weight in his past two contests.
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