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As Brazil's Fabricio Andrade prepares for the biggest fight of his life, the rising star has made it clear that he believes he's levels above John Lineker in terms of striking.
Andrade will challenge Lineker for the ONE bantamweight championship on October 21 at ONE on Prime Video 3. In an interview with Asian MMA, he said:
"I know we're not even close in striking levels, and especially the guy that he fought [Bibiano Fernandes], he's not on my level as well. I'm going to definitely surprise him with my skills in this fight."
'Wonder Boy' seeks to dethrone the champ, who was crowned when he knocked Fernandes out earlier this year, in emphatic fashion.
Training at Tiger Muay Thai in Thailand, the 25-year-old has cut out any and all distractions heading into his first world title fight.
Fabricio Andrade isn't worried about Lineker's hands
The Brazilian challenger is unbeaten since joining ONE Championship back in 2020. Of his five victories, the No.2-ranked bantamweight has scored four stoppages, including three-straight opening-round finishes leading to his title shot.
His recent successes have yielded a plethora of confidence from Andrade. With that, he remains unfazed by Lineker's power punches:
"Even if he trains for 10 years, his style won't change because that's what he does. He just goes there and throws hands because he believes in his power. But for me, I'm not worried about that."
Interestingly, Andrade claims that Lineker has been avoiding him ever since he ended Jeremy Pacatiw with a knee to the body in February. Nevertheless, the fight is booked and the two top bantamweights will square off at ONE on Prime Video 3.
Andrade is calling for "no takedowns" from Lineker, who isn't a stranger to taking the fight to the ground when he feels it's necessary.
The ONE on Prime Video 3 headliner will decide who is the undisputed ONE bantamweight king. Fabricio Andrade enters with all the hype, while John Lineker comes in with an experience edge.
Lineker also owns past victories over UFC vets like Marlon Vera, Rob Font, and John Dodson. However, Fabricio Andrade is clearly focused on the here and now. Expect fireworks.
