“I didn't expect him to go over the weight limit” - Fabricio Andrade surprised that John Lineker missed weight

After the ONE on Prime Video 3 main event between John Lineker and Fabricio Andrade, ONE Championship still did not have a bantamweight titleholder.

When the reigning bantamweight king John Lineker stepped on the scale a few hours before the event, he weighed in at 0.50 lbs over the bantamweight limit. Given an opportunity to cut the additional weight, Lineker was found to still be over the limit. As a result, ‘Hands of Stone’ was stripped of the bantamweight crown.

Speaking about the failed weigh-ins and subsequent stripping of the title, Fabricio Andrade shared his surprise with Lineker’s miss, particularly after making two attempts to meet the contractually obligated weight.

“The first time he failed, I knew he would try one more time. But I didn't expect him to go over the weight limit on the second try.”

On his second attempt, Lineker stepped on the scale and was 0.75 lbs over the limit. Andrade continued by saying:

“When I saw that he didn't make the weight, I already knew he would have to give me a percentage of his purse. But I was confident that the fight would happen because I wasn't going to leave the fight because of that. I really wanted to fight, and I really wanted to come out of the fight as a champion.”

---

What’s next for John Lineker and Fabricio Andrade?

When the two warriors stepped into the circle, only Fabricio Andrade was eligible to win the bantamweight world title, having successfully done his part in making weight the day prior. Unfortunately, an ill-timed blow below the belt cost Andrade what almost appeared to be a certain victory.

Crossing the halfway point of the scheduled 25-minute bout, Andrade landed a brutal knee to the body that sent ‘Hands of Stone’ reeling for a moment. Looking to capitalize, Fabricio Andrade threw another knee, but it landed low, hitting Lineker directly in the groin with so much force that it broke the protective gear that Lineker was wearing. As a result, the fight was called off and ruled a no-contest.

Up until that point, the two warriors engaged in a highly-entertaining battle, with both fighters landing big strikes along the way. The likeliest scenario is that they come together for a second time to settle things once and for all.

ONE Championship is yet to confirm if a rematch is on the cards as of yet, but with another huge bantamweight pairing at ONE on Prime Video 4 featuring former world champion Bibiano Fernandes and No.5-ranked bantamweight Stephen Loman, the promotion is not short on options for what it could do for the division’s top prize.