“That will make the difference” - Kevin Belingon believes Fabricio Andrade has one key advantage over John Lineker

Kevin ‘The Silencer’ Belingon believes 25-year-old Fabricio Andrade has one key advantage over John Lineker.

In response to the highly anticipated matchup between the defending world champion John ‘Hands of Stone’ Lineker and the No. 1 contender, Fabricio ‘Wonder Boy’ Andrade, the Filipino superstar couldn’t help but lean towards Andrade in this scenario.

Speaking to ONE Championship, the ‘Silencer’ said:

“Fabricio Andrade’s biggest advantage in this fight is his height and reach. That will make the difference in this fight. They both have KO power, but Andrade’s length will be a problem for Lineker here.”

Kevin Belingon knows what kind of power the top-tier bantamweights possess, having held the world title of the division and competing against the best over the past decade in ONE Championship.

In 2020, he had the chance to experience going toe-to-toe with the man they call ‘Hands of Stone’. Despite a valiant effort, he ultimately fell via TKO in the second round of their matchup.

Although the former bantamweight king has been on the receiving end of the Brazilian’s power punches, Belingon believes Andrade has the right tools to put a stop to his flurries. According to Belingon, if Andrade uses what he has naturally to his advantage, he can easily frustrate Lineker and force him to make mistakes.

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Fabricio Andrade knows John Lineker is scared of him

Fabricio Andrade has been looking to fight John Lineker for quite some time now. When ‘Hands of Stone’ beat Bibiano ‘The Flash’ Fernandes for his belt at ONE: Lights Out in March, it was just the icing on the cake for Andrade because he knew that it would sweeten the prize for defeating Lineker.

However, on social media, Lineker chose to reply to another ranked contender in Kwon Won Il instead of acknowledging Andrade’s callouts, which annoyed the young Brazilian striker. Andrade then made a powerful statement at ONE 158: Tawanchai vs. Larsen by beating Kwon Won Il with a liver shot to the body, and essentially earning his world title shot, whether Lineker liked it or not.

During his ONE 158 post-fight interview, Andrade was asked if he really thought Lineker was afraid to fight him. The 25-year-old star confidently said:

“100%. He knew before this fight. He already knew I am the toughest challenger. I am the best bantamweight in the division and that’s why he never choose to reply to me.”