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On February 24, John Lineker will attempt to recapture the ONE bantamweight world championship when he meets No. 1 ranked contender Fabricio Andrade in the main event of ONE Fight Night 7 on Prime Video.
‘Hands of Stone’ is ready to reclaim what he believes is rightfully his after losing the title on the scale ahead of his first meeting with ‘Wonder Boy’ at ONE on Prime Video 3 in October. Standing in his way once again will be fellow Brazilian heavy hitter Fabricio Andrade, who is intent on achieving his destiny by becoming a ONE world champion.
Ahead of their highly anticipated showdown at the legendary Lumpinee Boxing Stadium, we take a look at the three biggest wins of John Lineker’s career in ONE Championship.
#3. John Lineker vs. Troy Worthen at ONE on TNT III
John Lineker’s third appearance inside the circle at ONE on TNT III was another fantastic showing by the heavy-handed Brazilian. Lineker’s opponent that night, Troy ‘Pretty Boy’ Worthen entered the bout on a hot streak, winning three straight fights, two by way of knockout. Fans were in store for a spectacular knockout and they got exactly that in the very first round.
As soon as the fight began, Lineker immediately obtained control of the circle and put pressure on Worthen, looking for another signature knockout. Lineker pressed Worthen up against the cage and unloaded multiple combinations, targeting the body of ‘Pretty Boy.’ Worthen utilized kicks to try and keep distance between himself and Lineker, but in the end, it wasn’t enough.
With less than 30 seconds left in the round, ‘Hands of Stone’ uncorked a straight right that landed on the button, dropping Worthen immediately. Another hammer fist for good measure and that’s all she wrote. At the time, it was Lineker’s second-straight knockout inside the circle that earned him a shot at the ONE bantamweight world championship.
#2. John Lineker vs. Kevin Belingon at ONE: Inside the Matrix III
John Lineker’s second biggest win under the ONE Championship banner came against former ONE bantamweight world champion Kevin Belingon. Squaring off at ONE: Inside the Matrix III, Lineker faced his toughest test in the circle at the time and passed with flying colors, delivering a spectacular second-round knockout against the former ONE titleholder.
Lineker’s signature pressure was on display once again. Just over a minute into the second round, ‘Hands of Stone’ landed a solid uppercut as Belingon attempted to duck under and circle away. The blow sent Belingon to the canvas with no choice but to cover up as Lineker unloaded a series of strikes, forcing the referee to step in and call for the stoppage.
#1. John Lineker vs. Bibiano Fernandes at ONE: Light Out
The biggest victory of John Lineker’s ONE Championship career came in February 2022 when he stepped into the circle against a true legend of the sport, Bibiano Fernandes. ‘The Flash’ entered the bout as an 11-time ONE bantamweight world champion and had only lost one fight in the last decade. Lineker had his ‘Hands of Stone’ full that evening, but he once again rose to the occasion and delivered one of the biggest knockouts of the year.
Things didn’t look great for Lineker in the first round as Fernandes was able to wrestle him to the ground in the opening minute. Lineker was able to get back on his feet after a couple of minutes on the ground but was dropped by a big left hook from Fernandes with less than two minutes to go in the round. Lineker utilized his wrestling to recover and escape the first five minutes without taking any additional damage.
The tide quickly turned in the second round as Fernandes began to noticeably slow down. Ripping to the body, Lineker slowly started to take over. Fernandes was able to wrestle Lineker back to the ground once again, but ‘Hands of Stone’ worked his way back up after a minute on his back. With his opponent clearly gassed, Lineker began marching forward and unloaded a brutal left hook that landed clean and put Fernandes down with no follow-up strikes needed.
With the victory, John Lineker became the new ONE bantamweight world champion.
‘Hands of Stone’ will attempt to become a two-time ONE world champion on February 24 when he rematches No. 1 ranked bantamweight contender Fabricio Andrade in the ONE Fight Night 7 main event.
Also scheduled for the event, ONE featherweight Muay Thai world champion Tawanchai PK.Saenchai will defend his title against Turkish striker Jamal Yusupov. Fan-favorite Martin ‘The Situ-Asian’ Nguyen takes on undefeated Russian standout Shamil Gasanov and Danielle Kelly returns for a showdown with judo black belt and mixed martial artist Ayaka ‘Zombie’ Miura.
Fans in North America can catch all the action live and for free in U.S. primetime on the Amazon Prime Video streaming service.
