John Lineker would have preferred to finish the fight against Fabricio Andrade the last time

John Lineker possesses a warrior’s heart and is always ready to scrap until the wheels fall off.

Unfortunately, for the former ONE bantamweight world champion, the pain from the low blow he sustained from Fabricio Andrade back in ONE on Prime Video 3 last year was too unbearable to physically continue.

Contrary to what his detractors say, Andrade included, ‘Hands of Stone’ wanted to keep going after that inadvertent foul.

Even when his groin cup was crushed from the sheer impact, the 32-year-old knew he still had a puncher’s chance as long as he stayed in it.

However, once the allotted time to recover passed, a heavily compromised John Lineker knew he had to live to fight another day. Now fully recovered from that harrowing ordeal, the Brazilian headhunter gets the opportunity to reclaim the bantamweight world title he technically never lost.

Lineker and Andrade will slug it out for a second time at ONE Fight Night 7 this Friday, February 24.

The full card, which will emanate from the iconic Lumpinee Stadium in Bangkok, Thailand, will be broadcast live on US Primetime and free for Prime Video users in the United States and Canada.

With less than 24 hours to go before the rematch of the century, Lineker made it clear that he did not quit in his first match with Andrade.

He told the South China Morning Post MMA’s Nick Atkin during the ONE Fight Night 7 pre-event interviews:

“Independent of what was happening at that point, I would’ve liked always to [fight] to the last. We had two, two and a half, rounds to go and the fight would’ve continued.”

Watch John Lineker’s full interview below:

Meanwhile, even ‘Wonder Boy’ has blatantly accused Lineker of supposedly using the low blow as an excuse since he was on the verge of getting knocked out moments before the incident.

John Lineker will have to prove him wrong at ONE Fight Night 7 this Friday.

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John Lineker to Fabricio Andrade: “A king without a crown is not a king”

The bantamweight throne has remained vacant after an anticlimactic ending to Lineker and Andrade’s scrap last year.

However, it hasn’t stopped the top-ranked ‘Wonder Boy’ from boldly proclaiming himself the “uncrowned king” of the 145-pound division.

The reserved Lineker, meanwhile, has usually kept mum about the 25-year-old’s never-ending trash talk.

The idea of Andrade calling himself the true world champion, though, didn’t sit well with ‘Hands of Stone’.

He told Sportskeeda MMA in an earlier interview:

"To me, a king without a crown is not a king. I still consider myself a champion, because he didn't beat me. I lost on the scale due to technical problems. A king without a crown is not a king and I'm going to go into the cage with the thought that I'm going to defend my title."