John Lineker vs. Alptekin Ozkilic added to UFC Fight Night 45 in New Jersey
A flyweight bout between John Lineker (23-7 MMA, 4-2 UFC) and Alptekin Ozkilic (9-2 MMA, 1-1 UFC) is the latest addition to this summer’s UFC Fight Night 45 event.
UFC officials today announced the bout.
UFC Fight Night 45 takes place July 16 at Revel Casino Hotel in Atlantic City, N.J. The bulk of the card is expected to air on FOX Sports 1 following prelims on UFC Fight Pass.
It’s not clear where Lineker vs. Ozkilic will be placed on the lineup.
Lineker, who’s ranked No. 9 in the latest USA TODAY Sports/MMAjunkie MMA flyweight rankings, was on a four-fight winning streak and a victory away from a UFC title shot. However, after struggling to make weight (and nearly missing the official cutoff for the fourth time in his UFC career), he suffered a decision loss to Ali Bagautinov in a title eliminator at UFC 169. Prior to the setback, the 24-year-old Brazilian had posted consecutive knockout wins over Azamat Gashimov, Jose Maria and Phil Harris.
He now meets Ozkilic, who earned a split-decision win over Darren Uyenoyama in his December UFC debut, which marked his fourth consecutive win. However, the 28-year-old, who previously fought for the fast-rising Legacy FC promotion, then suffered a unanimous-decision loss to Louis Smolka just a month later after agreeing to the short-notice bout.
The latest UFC Fight Night 45 card now includes:
Donald Cerrone vs. Jim Miller
John Lineker vs. Alptekin Ozkilic
Aljamain Sterling vs. Hugo Viana
