UFC Fight Night 45 Date: July 16, 2014 Arena: Revel Casino Hotel City: Atlantic City, NJ Flyweight bout: Alpetkin Ozkilic (+243) vs John Lineker (-285) Fight Breakdown: UFC Fight Night 45 will be featuring a flyweight bout on its main card on FOX Sports 1 in the form of “The Turkish Delight” Alpetkin Ozkilic vs John “Hands of Stone” Lineker. Ozkilic is an underdog heading into this 125-pound contest at +243 ($100 to win $243), and Lineker is the betting favorite at -285 ($285 to win $100)Several Bookmakerss. “The Turkish Delight” Alpetkin Ozkilic (9-2 MMA, 1-1 UFC) defeated Darren Uyenoyama in his promotional debut via split decision on the judges’ scorecards, then made an incredibly quick turnaround taking on the undefeated Hawaiian in Louis Smolka just weeks later. The quick turnaround got the best of him, as he gassed against Smolka and came up short on the judges’ scorecards via a unanimous decision loss, and will now be looking to return to the win column with a win over the Brazilian on Wednesday night. Ozkilic is a talented wrestler who works good takedowns but is only average with his top position, as he is not a very big threat with submissions, and does not display a dangerous ground and pound game. The Turk is flat-footed, but has fast hands. He possesses serious power, and has an improving striking game; he works solid punches and kicks, putting together some effective combinations. He has had his ups and downs with cardio, so his conditioning will be something to keep an eye on in this 125-pound bout. John “Hands of Stone” Lineker (23-7 MMA, 4-2 UFC) saw his four fight winning streak snapped by recent flyweight title challenger Ali Bagautinov over five months ago and will be looking to get back to his winning ways Wednesday night against the Turk. The Brazilian is a heavy hitter who loves to stand and trade. He is a real brawler with a great chin who throws bombs and will take two just to land one. Lineker packs power behind every punch and is always capable of ending the fight. He is a very aggressive fighter who likes to push the pace. The Brazilian has real killer instinct, as he looks for the finish from the opening bell ‘til the final bell. He likes to close the distance on his opponents, which is where he does most of his damage. Lineker has a nice spinning back-kick, throws the crescent kick from time to time, and likes to work the inside leg of his opponents. Unlike Sam Stout, Lineker earns his “Hands of Stone” nickname, as his hands really are dangerous weapons. Even when he does not finish his opponents, he still drops them with his punches throughout the fight. He is fast, but he is also flat-footed, and his timing often gets thrown off against fighters with great footwork. Lineker has solid takedown defense and great reversals on the mat. He has had issues making weight, but successfully made weight in his last outing on his second attempt. Gabe’s Thoughts: Simply put, I expect Lineker to keep this fight on the feet and outstrike Ozkilic, likely stopping him with his Hands of Stone. Gabe’s Call: “Hands of Stone” by TKO (punches, 1:01, round 1) Gabe’s Recommended Play: Ozkilic/Lineker Under 2.5 rounds (+145) 2u to win 2.9u
