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What's the story?
As announced by John Lineker on Twitter, the former UFC Bantamweight will debut for ONE Championship in a fight against Muin Gafurov, which will most likely take place in Jakarta, Indonesia on October 25th, 2019.
In case you didn't know...
Lineker was quite a known figure in UFC's 135 lbs division as the American Top Team fighter was renowned for his no-nonsense style of fighting inside the Octagon.
The 29-year-old holds an impressive record of 12 wins and 4 losses in the UFC with notable victories over the likes of Michael McDonald, John Dodson, Ian McCall, Marlon Vera and Rob Font.
His was signed up by the UFC in 2012 and went on to fight for the promotion until his release in 2019. His last fight in the UFC was a loss against Cory Sandhagen in April 2019.
Lineker's UFC departure didn't happen in the best of circumstances. He was forced to pull out of many scheduled fights before he was eventually released from the UFC on July 2nd. Six days later, he was confirmed to be the latest name to have jumped ship to ONE Championship.
The heart of the matter
Lineker recently posted a tweet in which he pretty much confirmed his fight against Muin Gafurov. ONE CEO Chatri Sityodtong also took to Twitter and showered praise on the newest signing of his promotion:
Lineker (31-9) won't have it easy on his debut, as Tajikistan-born Muin Gafurov (17-2) is no spring chicken. Gafurov has won his last five fights and all of them have been stoppages. His last outing marked his return to ONE Championship in which he finished off Leandro Issa in the first round.
Gafurov, who has 3 wins and 2 losses in ONE, was rumored to fight at UFC's event in St. Petersburg in April earlier this year, however, contractual complications with ONE prevented the bout from happening.
Gafurov will now face an elite-level fighter who had a solid run during his time in the UFC.
What's next?
Lineker vs. Gafurov is speculated to take place on October 25th in Jakarta, Indonesia. We just hope 'Hands of Stone' is fit and injury-free for the beginning of an exciting new chapter in his career.
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