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ONE Championship has not been short of great rivalries over the years. If you lock two fighters inside a cage and make them fight for money, tensions will surely rise.
Meeting your greatest opposition, however, doesn't necessarily mean they can match you skill-for-skill. It could also mean they can get under your skin like no other.
In the high-profile fight between ONE Championship bantamweight champion Bibiano 'The Flash' Fernandes and John 'Hands of Stone' Lineker, we see a unique kind of clash. The two are finally set to face each other at the main event of ONE: Bad Blood on February 11.
So much hype is surrounding this bout and yet there are still a lot of unanswered questions. For one, the two haven't fought yet. We don't know how Bibiano's grappling and fight IQ would deal with Lineker's power and vice versa.
What we do know, however, is that the two hate each other's guts. Ever since the fight was put on paper last year, the two have been trading barbs verbally. Now, heat like this surrounding a fight is not new, and at times has delivered poorly.
A perfect example was the rivalry between Rashad Evans and Quinton 'Rampage' Jackson. The two produced TV gold with their verbal sparring, but come fight night, it was a different story. The two weren't able to translate their bad blood into an exciting fight.
With Fernandes and Lineker, however, considering the real animosity and level of skill between the two, this fight has the potential to be a classic. Not only will it be a great fight, it could also be the start of a rivalry for the ages. The kind that would see more than one fight.
Today we dive deep into an analysis on why Bibiano Fernandes vs. John Lineker might become the greatest rivalry in ONE Championship history.
#5. ONE Championship has built an event around it
Originally scheduled to be part of ONE: X, the bout has been moved around since it was first incepted. With ONE: X being moved to another date due to COVID-19 restrictions, a lot of fights have been removed and reshuffled.
Most people wonder why the epic clash between the ONE Champion and the former UFC standout has been removed from the card. One of the reasons might be because the bout itself has become too big to just be part of another card.
Having them share the spotlight with major bouts like Johnson/Rodtang and Lee/Stamp might hamper down the hype surrounding their fight. With that in mind, ONE decided to create an event solely to feature this grudge match at the heart of it. It's why the event name is called 'Bad Blood' in the first place.
ONE Championship is truly banking on these two's animosity and seeing it produce fire inside the cage. Come February 11, they might just deliver in spades.
#4. ONE Championship could see a 'passing of the torch' between the two
Bibiano Fernandes, by the numbers alone, is the most successful and dominant champion in ONE Championship history. His record seven title defenses and near-10-year reign at the top are unprecedented.
He's faced the best of the division,not just in ONE Championship, but also in other organizations. Coming into his fight with Lineker, one could make the argument that the former Brazilian jiu-jitsu world champion should be the betting favorite.
An argument against that, however, is the fact that Fernandes is already 41 years old and has not fought in two years. MMA is a young man's game. Given the level of fighters Fernandes has had to face over the years, it's surprising that he's still fighting. That's what made him such a legendary ONE Championship world champion.
With that said, Lineker is just 31 years old, a full decade younger than Fernandes. 'Hands of Stone', however, despite being younger, has had more fights than the champion, scoring over 30 wins with 16 knockouts.
He's been active during the champion's absence and might be in the best shape of his life too. We could very well see the passing of the torch come February 11.
ONE Championship CEO and founder Chatri Sityodtong echoed this statement in an interview with South China Morning Post:
“Lineker is a very fun fighter to watch. He used to have difficulty cutting weight, but with our hydration system he feels stronger and has had some explosive performances. This could possibly be a passing of the torch... But at the same time, Bibiano is super fired up. He still has that fire – that’s the most important thing. As long as fighters have their capabilities, health and the fire in the belly … the minute the fire is gone, you’re not gonna be able to train. But Bibi is on point and he’s super excited.”
Whether or not we see the passing of the proverbial torch, Bibiano will not give Lineker an easy fight. The same can be said about Lineker.
#3. This won't be the only time the two would meet inside the cage
Though some might say that this might be a passing of the torch, we are sure it won't be an easy one.
As what was previously pointed out, it may require more than one meeting to settle this. With the level of skill and power, plus the genuine bad blood between the two, a series of fights might be necessary to weave the entire story.
Drama is generated through great narratives. At the moment, the narrative is about a genuine dislike between the two fighters. Whether it was gym drama or something else, something sparked friction and the flames just grew and grew.
After their fateful clash on February 11, the fires may have been stoked more. If that happens, the two might not be done with each other.
The greatest rivalries in sports are almost always never settled in one contest. The greatest rivalry in ONE Championship history, between Fernandes and Kevin 'The Silencer' Belingon, spanned four fights.
We don't see any reason why this won't be the same.
#2. ONE Championship has not seen a rivalry of this kind
Most of the great rivalries in ONE Championship were made out of a genuine pursuit of greatness. Two great fighters pursuing gold clashed in the ring and put on such a highly competitive contest that fans had to see it again.
Rivalries like Joshua 'The Passion' Pacio vs. Yosuke Saruta and Xiong Jing Nan vs. Angela Lee followed the same narrative. Drama was stirred and hype was generated through the fights and the fights alone. A little bit of banter was thrown on social media but nothing too scathing.
This rivalry between Fernandes and Lineker is different as the drama was created not in the ring, but in social media first.
Never has ONE Championship seen two fighters who are at each other's necks even before they met in the cage. That's why they created an event with 'Bad Blood' as its name. It's truly the first of its kind in the organization.
#1. The bad blood is real between the two fighters
Now, this is the major indicator that this would be a rivalry for the ages. Real bad blood.
If you look at the greatest rivalries in MMA history, almost all of them are rooted in something personal. McGregor-Diaz, Lidell-Ortiz, Usman-Covington and the list goes on.
There's nothing like a genuine dislike for someone to push a fighter to perform above and beyond his limits. We've seen fighters change their entire approach to the game just because they want to put away the other person so badly. Great champions come out of great rivalries. And most of the time, it's their personal hatred for their opponents that allowed them to transcend.
Yes, duds like Jackson-Evans exist, but for the most part, personal rivalries produce moments that can potentially change the sport altogether. We have a whole library of fights to prove it.
In the end, however, it's the fans who are the true winners in these kinds of competitive conflicts. We will be treated to some epic fights that will not soon be forgotten. February 11 can't come any sooner.
Watch this virtual face-off video by ONE Championship to feel the hype:
