Ian McCall has cure for UFC flyweight division's ills
UBERLANDIA, Brazil — While Saturday's "UFC Fight Night: Shogun vs. Saint Preux" features an intriguing headliner between former titleholder Mauricio "Shogun" Rua and Ovince Saint Preux, the real gem of the card is the co-feature between top flyweight contenders John Lineker and Ian McCall.
While Lineker (24-7 MMA, 5-2 UFC) and McCall (13-4-1, 2-2-1) have both stumbled at times in their UFC careers, they are unquestionably among the best 125-pounders in the world.
So why isn't more attention being given to these flyweights ahead of Saturday's bout (Fox Sports 1, 10:30 p.m. ET)? Why have the UFC's 125-pounders, who traditionally engage in some of the sport's fastest-paced and most action-packed bouts, struggled to gain a firm foothold with MMA fans?
Lineker admits he doesn't really know, but he believes by putting on crowd-pleasing performances, that reality could soon change.
"I know we go in there and let it all hang out and we beat each other up," Lineker tells Paste BN Sports. "If it hasn't caught on, I'm sure it will catch on in a little while."
But McCall, never one to refrain from speaking his mind, has a theory, and "Uncle Creepy" believes current flyweight champ Demetrious Johnson is a big reason.
"You have a dominant champion who's got maybe boring contenders, besides myself, and he's a boring person," McCall says. "I mean, not to take anything away from Demetrious. He's the world's nicest person. He's just kind of a nerd. ... He could be the most dominant champion.
"...He does his job as a fighter. He does his job in I'm sure every other aspect of life – as a dad, as a husband or whatever. But he's just not a salesman. That's all it is.
"This is the entertainment business. You have to be entertaining. You have to grow a stupid mustache, be extra good-looking and just be out there. If it came down to just fighting, he'd be the highest-paid guy, probably."
Look no further than the UFC's newest superstar, Irish featherweight Conor McGregor, as a fighter who understands the need to stir fan emotion outside of the cage before a crowd will be willing to pay to watch him step in it.
Johnson has largely eschewed such an approach, preferring to let his gaudy winning streak speak for itself. But McCall believes that's a mistake. Lineker prefers a more patient approach to developing the flyweight division, but he's also flown under the radar despite a UFC run that includes four knockout victories.
"I think Demetrious does what he can do," Lineker says. "He's a champion. At least to me, he's awesome, and I think it's just a question of time."
McCall is currently ranked No. 4 in the Paste BN Sports/MMAjunkie flyweight rankings, and Lineker checks in at No. 9. The winner will be in an enviable position as Johnson awaits his next title challenger.
It could also be an important moment for the entire division.
"For me and John to get here, I think it's a good step in the right direction for our division," McCall says. "You know we're going to put on a good show.
"It's a cumulative amount of things that just aren't working. It's going to take someone like myself to really project it to a better level."
Morgan writes for MMAjunkie.com