Lins needed just 49 seconds to dispatch divisional mainstay Ovince Saint Preux, stunning the former interim title challenger with the first right hand he threw and never allowing him off the ropes from there. He kept Saint Preux pressed against the fence and covering up, hammering home heavy hooks and mixing in thudding blows to the body before a reaching left connected as Saint Preux looked to scurry to open space, ending the fight.
While you never want to put too much stock into a quick victory, especially one that comes against an aging veteran who has struggled to find positive results of late, Lins unquestionably looked good in there with Saint Preux in February. Physically, he appeared to be in great shape, and his power clearly translated much better at 205 pounds than it did in there with the big boys.
Saturday is another opportunity for Lins to show this resurgence is real as he squares off with another veteran, Maxim Grishin, in a bout that was previously booked for last October. The Russian has split four trips into the Octagon, though it’d be understandable to give him a pass for his debut loss at heavyweight against Marcin Tybura, and he brings an abundance of experience into this pairing.
At light heavyweight, all it takes is a couple wins to start to get noticed, and putting away Saint Preux in a hurry certainly accomplished that feat for Lins. Should he push his run of success to three with a victory over Grishin on Saturday, the 37-year-old Brazilian could find himself sharing the Octagon with a ranked opponent next time out.
