Picking & Grinning: UFC Fight Night ‘McDonald vs. Lineker’

The line of contenders forming behind Ultimate Fighting Championship bantamweight titleholder Dominick Cruz could soon include Michael McDonald or John Lineker.

McDonald and Lineker will square off in the UFC Fight Night 91 main event on Wednesday at the Denny Sanford Premier Center in Sioux Falls, South Dakota. In the lightweight co-headliner, “The Ultimate Fighter 13” winner Tony Ferguson tries to continue his climb on the 155-pound ladder against Jackson-Wink MMA newcomer Landon Vannata.

The rest of the six-fight main card features a middleweight clash pairing Tim Boetsch with Josh Samman, a heavyweight tilt pitting Alexey Oleinik against Daniel Omielanczuk, a welterweight affair matching Kyle Noke with Keita Nakamura and a flyweight duel slotting Louis Smolka opposite Ben Nguyen.

Ahead of UFC Fight Night McDonald vs. Lineker,” members of the Sherdog.com staff swallowed their pride and put their reputations on the line with bold predictions:

Standings

Brian Knapp (10-2)
Mike Fridley (9-3)
Jordan Breen (7-5)
Mike Sloan (7-5)
Tristen Critchfield (7-5)

The Lineup

Michael McDonald vs. John Lineker
Tony Ferguson vs. Landon Vannata
Tim Boetsch vs. Josh Samman
Daniel Omielanczuk vs. Alexey Oleinik
Kyle Noke vs. Keita Nakamura
Louis Smolka vs. Ben Nguyen
Lauren Murphy vs. Katlyn Chookagian
Sam Alvey vs. Eric Spicely
Cortney Casey vs. Cristina Stanciu
Scott Holtzman vs. Cody Pfister
Rani Yahya vs. Matthew Lopez
Devin Clark vs. Alex Nicholson

The Picks

Knapp: Lineker, Ferguson, Samman, Oleinik, Noke, Nguyen, Chookagian, Alvey, Stanciu, Holtzman, Lopez, Clark

Fridley: McDonald, Ferguson, Boetsch, Oleinik, Noke, Smolka, Chookagian, Alvey, Stanciu, Holtzman, Yahya, Clark

Breen: Lineker, Ferguson, Samman, Olinyk, Nakamura, Smolka, Murphy, Alvey, Stanciu, Holtzman, Yahya, Clark

Sloan: Lineker, Vannata, Samman, Omielanczuk, Noke, Smolka, Murphy, Spicely, Casey, Holtzman, Lopez, Clark

Critchfield: Lineker, Ferguson, Samman, Oleinik, Noke, Smolka, Murphy, Alvey, Casey, Holtzman, Yahya, Clark