“I did everything right” - Fabricio Andrade looks back on near-flawless performance against John Lineker

Fabricio Andrade was just moments away from becoming a ONE world champion. In a flash, it was all gone.

At ONE on Prime Video 3, ‘Wonder Boy’ stepped into the circle with John Lineker with an opportunity to capture the ONE bantamweight world title. Just hours before, Lineker stepped on the scale over the bantamweight limit, causing him to be stripped of the world title in the process.

For Andrade, the opportunity to reach the top of the mountain was alive and well.

It was a hard-hitting affair between the two warriors that had fans on the edge of their seats. Near the halfway point of the contest, Andrade landed a brutal knee directly to Lineker’s midsection, sending the heavy-handed striker reeling.

Smelling blood in the water, Fabricio Andrade swarmed in, delivering another knee. Unfortunately, the follow-up knee landed low, hitting Lineker in the groin with so much force that it broke the protective gear that ‘Hands of Stone’ was wearing.

Lineker was unable to continue and the fight was called off as a no-contest due to an accidental foul leaving fans and Fabricio Andrade filled with disappointment.

Discussing the finish in an interview with ONE Championship, Andrade said the near-win turned non-finish was both frustrating and sad:

“I trained a lot, worked a lot, and sacrificed a lot to get in my best shape. I made weight, I did everything right, I was winning the fight, almost knocking him out, and the fight ended like that. From a near knockout to a no-contest, it was very frustrating. I was very sad with the result of the fight.”

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Fabricio Andrade admits he got carried away in near-finish of John Lineker at ONE on Prime Video 3

Fabricio Andrade was on the cusp of world title glory when his overzealousness got the best of him, resulting in an ill-timed low blow to his rival, John Lineker, that ultimately stopped the bout in its track.

The anti-climactic finish that left both men disappointed and ONE Championship without a bantamweight titleholder:

“When I landed the knee on him, I thought, ‘Now, it's over.’ But it turned out that I got carried away and ended up landing a blow to his genitals, which turned out to be his salvation.”

With business left unfinished, a rematch between the two warriors seems to be the likeliest scenario. When and where that occurs is yet to be announced. In an interesting twist of fate, a rematch will give ‘Hands of Stone’ the opportunity to make weight, thus making him eligible to recapture the ONE world title he lost while standing on the scale.