Las Vegas, NV…Former UFC bantamweight champion TJ Dillashaw moved one step closer to a crack at regaining his belt, winning a dominant three-round unanimous decision over John Lineker Friday night at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. Scores were 30-26 across the board for the No. 1-ranked Dillashaw, now 15-3; Parana’s Lineker, the No. 2-ranked contender, falls to 29-8.

Looking extremely loose and confident, Dillashaw had a dominant first round, with his kicks leading the way as he kept Lineker from getting too close. Throwing in a takedown for good measure, Dillashaw didn’t get into any heated exchanges with the Brazilian until late in the first round, and he emerged unscathed.

Dillashaw kicked off the second with a takedown, almost to prove that he could do it whenever he wanted to. And once standing, the kicks continued until he landed the next takedown. This time on the mat, Dillashaw fired off ground strikes, with Lineker unable to keep up with the former champ, who was running away with the fight.

The third was another clinic for Dillashaw both on the feet and the mat, and while Lineker landed some hard body shots in the closing minute, it was simply too little too late.

Source = By Thomas Gerbasi December 30, 2016 UFC.com