Fabricio Andrade’s first fight with John Lineker left a bad taste in the mouth: “I don’t want that feeling again”

Brazilian mixed martial arts superstar Fabricio Andrade always finishes what he starts. So when he is unable to do so, he is not down with it.

‘Wonder Boy’ was in such a situation in his first showdown with fellow Brazilian John Lineker for the vacant ONE bantamweight world title last October.

25-year-old Andrade was in his element in said fight, punishing ‘Hands of Stone’ with telling hits throughout.

However, as he was about to go for the finish late in the third round, the HIIT Studio/Marrok Force standout accidentally struck John Lineker in the groin, leaving the latter in unbearable pain.

The fight was eventually ruled a no-contest as the American Top Team (ATT) affiliate was unable to continue even after being given the time to recover.

The two then met in a rematch in February, but unlike the first encounter, Fabricio Andrade made sure he got the job done. He once again steadily tore down John Lineker with strikes from all directions in a way that the 33-year-old fighter simply just had a hard time dealing with.

The end came before the fifth and final round when Lineker’s corner deemed it fit to stop the fight to save their fighter from further damage.

The technical knockout win gave 'Wonder Boy' the vacant bantamweight world title.

Speaking on the Honey Badger Hour, Fabricio Andrade shared how the first fight with Lineker served as a lesson for him, saying:

“The second fight was different, I was so relaxed. In my head, I knew I was going for war. But outside I was like, it is what it is. That’s what I want to do. But one thing that I kept in my mind was the belt. Because the first fight, when I didn’t get the belt, it was a bad feeling. And I told myself that I don’t want that feeling again.”

The same lesson is what Fabricio Andrade is carrying when he returns to action on October 6, where he will vie for the vacant ONE bantamweight kickboxing world title against the division’s Muay Thai king Jonathan Haggerty in a champion-versus-champion clash at ONE Fight Night 15 on Prime Video.

Both Andrade and Haggerty are angling to become a two-sport ONE world champion in their scheduled fight.

ONE Fight Night 15 is available live and for free to Prime Video subscribers in North America.