“Tested myself in other areas” - John Lineker proud of what he accomplished in Muay Thai and kickboxing transitions

John Lineker has made a career out of punching through people’s game plans - and faces. But over the past year, the Brazilian brawler decided to try something different. With no MMA fights lined up and a hunger to stay active, 'Hands of Stone' took a detour into the world of Muay Thai and kickboxing.

It wasn’t just about staying sharp. It was about testing himself, getting out of his comfort zone, and making a little extra coin in the process.

“I stayed active, tested myself in other areas, and made some extra money. I am very happy with the results I achieved in these fights,” he said in an exclusive interview with ONE Championship.

That stretch included back-to-back knockouts over Asa Ten Pow and Alexey Balyko, followed by competitive losses to Thai standout Kulabdam and kickboxing champ Hiroki Akimoto. Not bad for a guy stepping outside his specialty.

But now, 'Hands of Stone' says the fun's over. He’s back to MMA, and he wants his trilogy (or, in his mind, real rematch) with Fabricio Andrade.

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John Lineker is confident he has the skills to survive an apocalypse: “If there was a zombie invasion today”

All this cross-training wasn’t just for show. According to John Lineker, it might also come in handy in... an actual zombie apocalypse?

“If there was a zombie invasion today, I would already have a lot of plans to deal with the zombies," he said. "I would know how to deal with and how not to get killed by a zombie. There are many strategies in the series that I would use if there was a zombie invasion today."

Kidding aside, Lineker has his MMA return on the horizon and Andrade firmly in his crosshairs, and all that training might get him not just through that match... but also a zombie uprising, too.

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