John Lineker says he never lost to Fabricio Andrade: “I consider myself the champion”

Former ONE bantamweight champ John Lineker asserts that he never lost to Fabricio Andrade—and that he's still the champion in his eyes.

'Hands of Stone' was stripped of his belt prior to his first meeting with Andrade last October after missing weight. Their first then ended in anticlimactic fashion, as an illegal groin strike resulted in the bout being ruled a no-contest.

John Lineker recently told the South China Morning Post that he still considers himself the bantamweight king. He stated:

"Yeah it’s weird. I didn’t lose to him but I consider myself the champion, I’m gonna fight like the champion, I am the champion, because Fabricio didn’t beat me."

The pair of contenders will battle it out for the vacant bantamweight strap at ONE Fight Night 7 on Prime Video.

Check out John Lineker's full interview with SCMP MMA below:

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John Lineker says love of fighting led to him chasing a professional career in combat sports

The 32-year-old has an immense passion for fighting that goes all the way back to when he was growing up. In fact, he claims his natural love of fighting led to him pursuing a professional career in combat sports. Lineker told ONE:

“That impacted me. It generated a fire in my heart, something very strong. And that ended up becoming my wish, it became my dream. I already liked to fight, so having martial arts as a lifestyle to support my family was something that really moved me.

Lineker attained his first world title by knocking out former long-time champ, Bibiano Fernandes. This was the fourth victory in a row for "Hands of Stone." in ONE Championship.

Be sure to tune in to ONE Fight Night 7 on February 24 to watch John Lineker rematch Fabricio Andrade for the vacant bantamweight world title, live from the legendary Lumpinee Boxing Stadium in Bangkok, Thailand.

All the action on this Friday's card will be broadcast live and for free on Prime Video for all Amazon subscribers across North America.