Two new contests are now on tap for UFC 151. Flyweights John Lineker and Yasuhiro Urushitani are officially set to collide at the Sept. 1 event, and verbal agreements are in place for a lightweight contest between Daron Cruickshank and Henry Martinez.
Lineker, 22, saw a lengthy winning streak snapped when he was submitted in his Octagon debut by “Ultimate Fighter” Season 14 alum Louis Gaudinot. Prior to that May 5 defeat at UFC on Fox 3, Lineker had not lost since December 2009, rattling off 13 consecutive victories en route to capturing the Jungle Fight bantamweight title last September.
Thirteen years the senior of his upcoming opponent, Urushitani [pictured: right] enters the cage coming off a March technical knockout defeat to Joseph Benavidez in the semifinals of the UFC's four-man flyweight title tournament. The setback ended a perfect five-fight stretch for the Japanese fighter, who won Shooto's 123-pound title in 2010 and defended it successfully one year ago before making his UFC debut.
Known for his unorthodox offense and kicking attack, Cruickshank, 27, was victorious in his Octagon foray against fellow “TUF 15” cast mate Chris Tickle in last month's season finale. The triumph extended Cruickshank's winning streak to five fights and marked the fourth decision win of his two-year pro career.
Martinez stepped up in February on short notice to make his UFC debut as a welterweight against Matt Riddle, dropping an exciting split decision to his larger foe but earning a call-back as a lightweight. The Jackson's MMA rep then came out on the favorable end of a split verdict in his sophomore effort for the Las Vegas-based promotion, edging Bernardo Magalhaes at UFC on FX 3 on June 8.