5 keys to victory for the co-main event of ONE Championship: Lights Out

The much-anticipated grudge match between Bibiano Fernandes (left) and John Lineker (right) will finally happen at ONE Championship: Lights Out. (Images courtesy of ONE Championship)
The much-anticipated grudge match between Bibiano Fernandes (left) and John Lineker (right) will finally happen at ONE Championship: Lights Out. (Images courtesy of ONE Championship)

#4. Mix up their attacks

If a warrior brings just one weapon to a fight, his opponent will only have to worry about that one weapon. As it stands, both Fernandes and Lineker have obvious weapons of choice for victory: Fernandes' jiu-jitsu and Lineker's punching power.

For Lineker, who is best known for his cinderblocks for hands, he doesn't need to overly rely on them during the fight. As that old boxing adage goes, you don't get the knockout by looking for the knockout.

Lineker needs to mix things up, use leg kicks, body attacks and perhaps a bit of clinch strikes to help him set up his power punches.

Fernandes, on his end, needs to find ways to make Lineker respect his striking. He needs to use his hands to blind Lineker from his takedown entries.

The ONE Championship bantamweight king is already developing a strong boxing game. If he can make Lineker think more about his hands than his grappling, it would create opportunities for the latter.

With that said, he needs to mix up his striking with feints and takedown attempts. Historically, Lineker lost to T.J. Dillashaw because the former UFC bantamweight champion used the same strategy.


3. For Fernandes: Take the fight into deep waters

One thing that's almost always true about people with innate punching power is that they are most dangerous at the beginning of the fight.

As the fight continues, fatigue can settle in and the threat of a knockout becomes less and less apparent. Though there are some outliers like Derrick Lewis who can carry his KO power into the final round, he is more of an exception than the norm.

With that said, Fernandes has to make this a long, grueling and ugly fight.

The ONE Championship bantamweight king has to smother Lineker on the clinch and on the ground constantly. He has to overload the challenger's muscles and get him fatigued enough so the knockout will be less likely in the latter rounds. That's where Fernandes can drown Lineker.

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