'He opened doors for other Brazilians' - Despite bad blood, John Lineker has utmost respect for Bibiano Fernandes

John Lineker and Bibiano Fernandes may have traded a litany of barbs leading up to their world title clash this month. However, Lineker says that despite the drama that has built up over the past few months, he still maintains a level of respect for his fellow Brazilian.

In a recent interview with ONE Championship, Lineker shared his thoughts on Fernandes as a champion and what he has done for his countrymen:

“I always respected Bibiano as a fighter. He is a great jiu-jitsu champion. I met Bibiano already [during his time as a] ONE world champion, and he certainly opened doors for other Brazilians at ONE. I respect his history in jiu-jitsu and MMA, and I’ve always respected him as the ONE world champion.”

Those words are a far cry from the heated exchanges between the two fighters of late. Their beef has no doubt elevated the drama and intrigue of this much-anticipated battle for the bantamweight belt. However, it’s a breath of fresh air knowing that two athletes at the top of their game can verbally go at each other while still allowing for mutual respect.

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John Lineker won’t hold back, will look for a knockout

Respect aside, John Lineker is going out there to do what he does best and that’s separate opponents from their senses. They don’t call him ‘Hands of Stone’ for nothing. Lineker has arguably the heaviest hands in the ONE bantamweight division, and he will be looking to get Fernandes out of there early:

“I’m training to knock him out. As in all my fights, I go to knock out my opponents. I don’t like to leave the decision to the judges. Sometimes, it happens, but I always try to finish the fight before the full fight time. I believe he’ll strike with me at the beginning, and for sure, will try to use his grappling and jiu-jitsu game. But I’m training a lot, and I know I’ll be able to nullify his game and get the knock out.”

John Lineker challenges Bibiano Fernandes in the main event at ONE: Bad Blood. The show is scheduled to take place at the Singapore Indoor Stadium on Friday, February 11.