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While Fabricio Andrade may have been the sharper overall fighter against John Lineker last October, the former world champion Lineker definitely had his moments.
Lineker was able to have success with his wrestling offense, completing takedowns against Andrade.
However, Fabricio Andrade believes that on a different day, he would have stuffed all of John Lineker’s takedowns and looked even sharper. In an interview with The MMA Superfan, Andrade commented on Lineker’s takedown attack and why he believes he’ll be more prepared in their rematch coming up next month:
"He was a little bit successful on the takedowns, that's the only reason why I would believe he will try them more because that was mostly where he was successful. But it was just also caused by mistakes on my part because I was a bit anxious and rushed it a little bit."
The takedowns of Lineker didn’t matter one way or another, as the fight ultimately ended in an anticlimactic no-contest. A groin strike to Lineker from Andrade would stop the fight in round three, leaving the bantamweight world championship vacant.
Fabricio Andrade will have the opportunity to test himself against John Lineker’s grappling once again on February 24, as the two feature in the main event at ONE Fight Night 7. With the vacant bantamweight belt on the line, the world will get to see which fighter can make the proper adjustments to claim the throne.
Fabricio Andrade sees changing weight class, trying different sports as options in ONE Championship
If number-two bantamweight contender Fabricio Andrade is able to capture a ONE world championship in Bangkok next month, he already has his sights on taking over more in the organization.
In the same interview with The MMA Superfan, Andrade pointed to other disciplines of fighting, including a different weight class, that he’s willing to try:
"Yeah, of course, that's our option. You can see that I could fight in Muay Thai, and I could fight in kickboxing. I could go up a weight [class]."
In addition to entertaining a move to featherweight, there’s a host of contenders at bantamweight that Fabricio Andrade is yet to face that could be up next for a world title shot soon. Stephen Loman is undefeated in ONE and could be due for a shot soon, while a former foe in Kwon Won Il is also back in the win column.
If he does hope to move up to featherweight, he’s in a bit of a predicament as his Tiger Muay Thai training partner Tang Kai currently holds that belt.
For now, he’ll look to win one of his own when he faces John Lineker in less than a month.
ONE Fight Night 7 goes down on February 24 from Bangkok, Thailand. The event airs on Amazon Prime for North American subscribers in US prime time.
