By the Numbers: John Lineker vs. Cory Sandhagen

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John Lineker and Cory Sandhagen were supposed to duke it out at UFC on ESPN 1, but Lineker had to pull out following a rib injury. They will finally cross paths on April 27 in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, at UFC Fight Night 150. Let the numbers below show just how explosive this fight between “Hands of Stone” and featherweight prospect could be.

Winning streak

After a decision loss to T.J. Dillashaw, Lineker picked up two straight victories. First, he beat Marlon Vera by decision and then he knocked out Brian Kelleher. Meanwhile, Sandhagen has been on a rampage since losing to Jamall Emmers in Legacy Fighting Alliance, which remains the only setback in his career. He stayed in the promotion for two more bouts and stopped both Luiz Antonio Lobo Gavinho and Jose Aguayo. He was then signed by the Ultimate Fighting Championship, where he finished his three previous foes: Austin Arnett, Iuri Alcantara and Mario Bautista.

Career losses

Sandhagen’s lone defeat came at the hands of Emmers via unanimous decision. The more experienced Lineker has eight career losses, which were dealt by Nelson Velasques, Felipe Arantes, Erick da Silva, Andre Luis de Souza, Rafael Silva, Louis Gaudinot, Ali Bagautinov and Dillashaw.

Wins by stoppage

Both combatants are certified finishers, Linker a knockout specialist and Sandhagen a well-rounded fighter with a good mix of knockout and submission stoppages on his resume. The younger fighter has three wins by submission and four by TKO, including one that earned him Fight of the Night honors alongside Alcantara. For Lineker, 14 of his stoppage victories came by TKO, which includes his destruction of Michael McDonald. As for grappling, he tapped out Francisco Rivera.

First-round finishes

With only 11 professional fights, Sandhagen boasts a high finishing rate in the opening round. He owns early stoppages against Gavinho, Aguayo, Bautista, Bruce Sessman and Dalton Goddard. His fastest was against Aguayo, whom he bested via knee and punches after only 67 seconds. His UFC on ESPN 3 adversary holds eight stoppages in the first round, with a list of victims that include Heriton Alves, Alessandro Cordeiro, Saulo Martins, Renato Velame, Luiz Salgadinho, Phil Harris, Rivera and McDonald.

Striking accuracy

Both are active strikers, but the precision edge goes to the American. After three UFC fights, Sandhagen landed 163 out of the 314 significant strikes he threw, making for a 52 percent striking accuracy. His highest output in a single Octagon fight was 80, which he did against Arnett, whom he eventually knocked out in the second round. Lineker, who is the heavier puncher, landed 904 out of the 2,258 significant strikes he launched, making for a 40 percent striking accuracy. His most in a single UFC bout was against Alptekin Ozkilic at 133.

Takedown accuracy

Lineker isn’t too keen on bringing the fight to the ground, but he does resort to takedowns on occasion. Of the 10 takedowns he attempted, Lineker finished six, which translates to a 60 percent takedown accuracy. Sandhagen, on the other hand, holds a 67% takedown accuracy after three UFC fights.