in qualifying. Despite his low start he still started on th

A pair of former flyweights will meet in a bantamweight matchup this weekend, as John Dodson faces John Lineker at UFC Fight Night in Portland, Oregon.Each man has a different reason for moving up in weight.Dodson was in a bit of no mans land at 125 pounds, having lost to the dominant champion Demetrious Johnson twice. Lineker just couldnt consistently make the weight. The Brazilian missed weight four times as a flyweight.Both have enjoyed immediate success at the heavier weight. Dodson is coming off a 47-second knockout over Manny Gamburyan, while Lineker is 3-0 at the weight, including a first-round finish over Michael McDonald.Lets take a closer look at this marquee bantamweight tilt. Dont agree with the pick? Let MMA analyst Brett Okamoto know on Twitter: @bokamotoESPN.Main eventJohn Dodson (18-7) vs. John Lineker (28-7) Bantamweight Odds: Dodson -130; Lineker +110These two are a rare breed in that they are undeniably elite mixed martial artists -- with relatively one-dimensional skill sets.Dodson might be the best athlete fighting out of Jackson-Wink MMA, and yes, that includes Jon Jones. The southpaws entire offense is based around the speed and power of his left hand. If Dodson were to ever say, I could beat this guy with one hand tied behind my back, Id take it literally. Everything comes from his power side, which has proved to be a disadvantage against Demetrious Johnson but good enough against anyone else.Lineker is a heavyweight in a bantamweights frame. He stalks, loads, throws with everything hes got and repeats. Even though hes constantly applying pressure, he often keeps a healthy distance from his opponent, which helps prevent takedowns. You have to shoot through a decent amount of space to try and take him down. And theres usually a point in every Lineker fight where you want to take him down, because hes just walloped you.The key to this matchup is how effectively Lineker can put Dodson on the fence and also keep him there. Dodson will concede the center of the Octagon to opponents, but hes not easy to track down along the cage. Especially for someone like Lineker, who doesnt represent a strong threat in either his takedowns or the clinch. Dodson might fight on the outside, but as long as hes moving in the process, that wont necessarily be the end of the world.Dodson has a heavy left leg kick, which could be effective against someone who sits so much on his punches, but its hard to consistently land those kicks if youre moving backwards. When the fight is in space, theres a lot to like about that kick, but I expect Lineker to limit Dodsons opportunities to throw it by constantly walking him to the edge of the cage.Previous opponents have tried to wear down Dodsons gas tank, which makes a lot of sense. If his speed is the most challenging thing about him, do what you can to slow him down. Lineker isnt that type of fighter, though. Itd be surprising if he comes in and tries to grapple, just to sap Dodsons energy. Like Dodson, Lineker turns things on in spurts. This makes for a tense matchup, where both guys will be loaded up on their preferable weapon, looking to land first. If there is a takedown, it will likely come from Dodson.Neither has ever been knocked out -- but both are known for finishing opponents. So, something has to give. This is also a 25-minute fight.Prediction: Even fans who dont appreciate smaller weight classes shouldnt miss this one. Someone will go down in one of these exchanges. Dodson by TKO, second round. Cheap Air Max 97 All Red China . Just as Montreal was settling into the first full working week of a new year, the Impact announced the appointment of their new head coach. Cheap Air Max 97 Purple China . -- Brandon Jennings made the most of his first game with the Detroit Pistons on Sunday night. http://www.cheapairmax97fromchina.com/cheap-air-max-97-green-china/ . In what the team had called a retirement, Ryan said Thursday that he is resigning as chief executive of the Rangers in a move effective at the end of this month. Cheap Air Max 97 All Pink China . -- Gus Malzahn finally had his day in Fayetteville. Cheap Air Max 97 Black China . Halladay signed a one-day contract with the Toronto Blue Jays on Monday that allowed the veteran right-hander to retire as a member of team with which he broke into the majors and spent the bulk of his distinguished 16-year career. Sergio Perez thinks his performance at the Singapore Grand Prix, where he stretched out a soft tyre stint for over half the race, was one of his best in Formula One.Perez started 18th after being hit with a combined eight-place grid drop for multiple infractions under the yellow flag in qualifying. Despite his low start he still started on the ultra-soft tyre as he had made it through to Q3, but a first-lap Safety Car allowed him to immediately stop for the soft - the hardest compound in Pirellis range for the weekend.Perez stopped for another set of softs on lap 25 which he managed to stretch out until the end of the 61-lap race, by which time he had climbed to eighth position.It was a special effort from myself, Perez said. I think its my one of my best performannces in Formula One, to manage these soft tyres for 36 laps.ddddddddddddIm so pleased with how the race went, that we managed to secure the points. Were ahead of Williams, which we needed to do. It was a very difficult race out there but we did an extremely good job.The Pirelli chart below shows how different Perezs strategy was to those around him:?Perezs points helped Force India edge back in front of Williams in the battle for fourth position. Perezs teammate Nico Hulkenberg was spun into the pit wall at the start and retired, but Williams drivers Felipe Massa and Valtteri Bottas both finished outside of the points-paying positions.? ' ' '