John Lineker admits issue with weight affected his latest performance

ONE on Prime Video 3 wasn’t a standout event in John Lineker’s career.

Despite the fact that his fight with Fabricio Andrade ended in a no contest, that doesn’t do Andrade’s performance justice. ‘Wonder Boy’ put on a great display in their fight, which many believe gives him a psychological edge going into their rematch on February 24.

Before the fight had even started, Lineker had gone through some adversity. The then-ONE bantamweight champion was stripped of his world title on the scales after failing to make weight.

This meant that the world title would be left vacant and Lineker would be unable to win it back in the fight. Not only had he lost the gold without being defeated inside the circle, Lineker believes that his weight cut significantly affected his performance on fight night.

Speaking exclusively to Sportskeeda MMA, the former champion said:

“At ONE I don't have this difficulty making weight, so I don't think I have anything to worry about, I won't be upset by what happened in the past, I won't let it mess with my head. On the day I didn't make the weight, it affected me a lot and harmed me. All because of my history. But now I'm going to do it differently, I'm going to do everything right, and check before going to the official weigh-in.”

John Lineker has a chance to set everything right again when he faces Andrade in a rematch at ONE Fight Night 7 on Prime Video. The event is set for February 24 at the iconic Lumpinee Boxing Stadium in Bangkok.

ONE Fight Night 7 is available live and for free to all Prime Video subscribers in North America.

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John Lineker admits he was surprised by Fabricio Andrade’s chin

There aren’t many bantamweights on the planet who can stand toe-to-toe with ‘Hands of Stone’ John Lineker.

At ONE on Prime Video 3, that’s exactly what Fabricio Andrade did. ‘Wonder Boy’ stood his ground and was able to dominate the striking exchanges with his superior speed and range.

Lineker’s biggest weapon throughout his career has been his devastating punching power, which allows him to steamroll right through his opponents. On this occasion, though, he wasn’t able to make an impact in the fight with his hands.

Going into their rematch on February 24, a big question will be whether John Lineker can make the right adjustments to close the gap on his opponent and let his thunderous punches go.

Speaking exclusively to Sportskeeda MMA, Lineker revealed that he was taken aback by how well Andrade stood in front of him and traded strikes:

“He's a tough guy and he surprised me in [the first] fight, because he showed himself to be a guy who can take the hits. But now we are working hard on these strong points and we are going in search of this victory”

With 17 knockout wins under his belt, John Lineker only needs one shot to completely change the direction of a fight. If he is able to land on Fabricio Andrade this time around, the entire contest could be completely different from their first meeting at ONE on Prime Video 3.