John Lineker Pulls Out Of UFC Greenville Rematch With Rob Font

Bantamweight contender John Lineker has pulled out of his UFC Greenville rematch with Rob Font this weekend due to an undisclosed reason.

The news was first reported by MMA Junkie, citing two sources who informed them of the development on early Friday morning. With the UFC yet to officially announce the news, the two sources had asked for anonymity. It has since been revealed by ESPN’s Brett Okamoto that it was due to a cut Lineker suffered in training:

Confirmed John Lineker is out of his fight against Rob Font tomorrow, first reported by @MMAjunkie. His manager, Alex Davis, tells me he was working out last night cutting weight, and suffered a cut over his eyebrow. Went to urgent care and the decision was made to withdraw.

— Brett Okamoto (@bokamotoESPN) June 21, 2019

Lineker stepped in as a short-notice replacement for Cody Stamann to take on Font. Serving as the card’s co-main event, it would have been a rematch of their 2016 meeting which saw Lineker emerge victorious via unanimous decision.

However, that will no longer be the case. With weigh-ins taking place later on in the day, it is unlikely the UFC will be able to land another short-notice opponent for Font. Font’s management company Top Game Management also declined to comment when reached by MMA Junkie.

It serves as a blow not only for the card and Font, but Lineker as well. “Hands of Stone” recently made a plea to the UFC to book him in more fights or release him as he was struggling to make ends meet.

UFC Greenville takes place Saturday at Bon Secours Wellness Arena. The event will be headlined by a featherweight tilt between Renato Moicano and Chan Sung Jung. There is no word on which fight will now serve as the co-main event.