UFC Flyweight Tilt Pitting John Lineker vs. Ian McCall Rescheduled for UFC 183

A UFC flyweight scrap between No. 7-ranked John Lineker and No. 3-ranked Ian "Uncle Creepy" McCall has been rescheduled for UFC 183 on Jan. 31 in Las Vegas, according to a report from MMAJunkie.com. 

McCall originally withdrew from their UFC Fight Night 56 bout in November just hours before the event with a blood infection (h/t MMAFighting.com), prompting some zingers from his opponent. 

"He was going to the hospital one way or the other," Lineker told MMAJunkie.com after McCall's withdrawal. "He just ended up there a day early.”

Now, Lineker gets to back up his words on Jan. 31, when the two 125-pound standouts enter the UFC Octagon to settle a longstanding score. 

With a win, either fighter will make a strong case for a title shot. 

After kicking off his UFC career with three straight losses (two to current champ Demetrious Johnson, one to Joseph Benavidez), McCall righted the ship and rattled off back-to-back decision victories over Iliarde Santos and Brad Pickett, vaulting him back up the rankings and into title contention. 

Lineker, on the other hand, has lost just twice in his seven-fight UFC career. In his UFC debut, he lost via submission to Louis Gaudinot, but he bounced back with authority, winning four straight, three via knockout. 

Just as he looked to be on the verge of a title shot, Lineker lost a disappointing decision to Ali Bagautinov at UFC 169 in February. After the victory, Bagautinov challenged for Johnson's flyweight title, losing a lopsided decision. 

Perhaps a more important issue for Lineker, however, is his weight. He's struggled with his weight in nearly every UFC fight to date, coming in heavy three times (h/t Fox Sports) and needing extra time after the initial weigh-in in each of his last two bouts. 

This problem is so severe, in fact, that Lineker told MMAFighting.com that cutting weight is harder for him than actually fighting. 

With a high-energy, relentless pro like McCall in front of him, Lineker's weight struggles may prove the difference in their eventual showdown. 

Uncle Creepy gets the edge should the fight turn into a grappling contest, but Lineker's one-punch knockout power is nothing to overlook. The Brazilian can turn out the lights in an instant, and McCall will need to choose caution when engaging his foe on the feet. 

Because of this stylistic matchup, their bout comes with a heaping serving of intrigue, making it another can't-miss fight in the UFC's stacked January schedule.