Introduction
Sunday, November 17th, American flyweight prospect Cody Linne will be in action for Anthony Pettis FC, where he will be looking continue his winning ways against Roybert Echevarria. He will be looking for another win, as Linne looks to inch closer to a contract with the UFC. He represents Rothwell MMA, an up-and-coming camp in MMA. Let’s take a closer look at this prospect as this week’s “Prospect Spotlight.”
Strengths
Jiu-Jitsu: Linne is definitely a grappler that prefers to fight on the mat. He has solid takedowns to set up that ground game, though he’s not a world-class wrestler like some at the highest level of this sport. Once on the mat, he is very slick with his passes, transitions and getting to a spot where he can finish the fight. Six of his nine professional wins come by way of submission, with the rear-naked choke being his go-to weapon. He also has guillotine and armbar finishes on his record as well. His biggest submission win came over 50+ fight veteran Nate Williams, establishing Linne as a true threat on the mat.
Rangy Striking: While Linne is no Nieky Holzken when it comes to striking, that does not mean he’s not competent and uses the striking he has effectively. Linne is a decent sized flyweight at 5’6″, but definitely uses his arm and leg length well. He strikes well at a distance, looking to close in on his opponent from the outside to shoot a takedown and get the fight down. He has solid kicks, especially low kicks. He has a flying knee knockout on his record as well, which he set up by establishing a good distance game.
Needs Improvement
Facing Counter-Wrestlers: While Linne is a very good grappler once on the ground, if his opponent has strong counter-wrestling, he struggles to implement his game. In his LFA bout with Kevin Fernandez, his offensive grappling game was stifled and Fernandez was able to outpoint him with a combo of aggression and striking superiority. Counter-wrestling ability tends to increase dramatically as you move up the ladder to the big leagues, which means Linne will need to get more comfortable fighting those types of opponents.
Outlook
UFC Prelim Fighter: Linne is a guy that I see in the UFC in the next year or two. On his current trajectory, he’s got Dana White’s Contender Series written all over him. Up first, he has Contender Series vet Roybert Echevarria in a defense of his APFC Championship. This is definitely a winnable fight, as Echevarria is a striker that can be taken down. If he scores that win, he should stay by his phone in case of a late-notice opportunity. If that doesn’t present itself, he should get a fight or two more in 2025 before getting the call to DWCS. From there, he could score a UFC contract, making 2025 the earliest he will get into the world’s largest promotion.
MMA Intel 