John Lineker reveals his greatest achievement in all of 2022 and it wasn’t winning the belt

All things considered, John Lineker had a fairly successful year in ONE Championship. He did, after all, capture his first world championship with a spectacular knockout of former bantamweight champion Bibiano Fernandes.

However, according to ‘Hands of Stone,’ that is not his greatest achievement of 2022. In an interview with ONE Championship, John Lineker revealed the one thing that understandably trumps his iconic knockout of ‘The Flash’ in March.

“Having won the World Title was a great achievement, but this year, I found out that I'm going to have a [baby] girl. In seven weeks, she will be born. This will definitely be the greatest achievement of my life.”

Very few things can trump becoming a world champion, but undoubtedly one of them is welcoming a new addition to your family. John Lineker will do exactly that, but perhaps he can have the best of both worlds in the new year. On February 10, 2023, Lineker will have the chance to regain the bantamweight crown when he rematches Fabricio Andrade at ONE on Prime Video 7.

The pair previously met in the main event of ONE on Prime Video 3. Unfortunately, that bout ended in an anticlimactic no-contest after Lineker suffered a brutal low blow in the fourth round. Fortunately, ONE will give fans a chance to see the two run it back in early 2023.

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John Lineker doesn’t waste time worrying about the critics

When John Lineker stepped into the circle for his main event showdown with Fabricio Andrade at ONE on Prime Video 3, he was already a former bantamweight world champion. Having lost the title on the scale the day before, ‘Hands of Stone’ received his fair share of criticism before the first bell sounded.

After the low blow that ended things in the fourth round of their otherwise highly-entertaining affair, Lineker received even more backlash, with many fans calling him a quitter and claiming that he took the easy way out. However, the former world champion had little issue pushing that aside and embracing the support he received from his friends and family.

“Why would I care about all the criticism if I have everything in my life -- God, family, friends who really cheer for me?”

John Lineker will have the chance to quiet his critics on February 10 when he once again matches up with fellow Brazilian Fabricio Andrade to crown a new king of the bantamweight division.