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Back in October 2022, at ONE on Prime Video 3, Fabricio Andrade came very close to becoming the new ONE bantamweight world champion. 'Wonder Boy' was arguably just a few seconds away from finishing former world champion John 'Hands of Stone' Lineker.
After hurting Lineker with a solid knee to the body, Fabricio Andrade proceeded to swarm the former champ with strikes in the hopes of finishing the fight. Unfortunately, in the middle of the fray, 'Wonder Boy' landed another knee that went too low, hitting Lineker in the groin. The impact was so powerful that it shattered the groin cup of 'Hands of Stone'.
Since Lineker couldn't continue after the illegal blow, the bout ended in a no-contest, leaving the belt vacant.
In a video posted by ONE Championship, we saw a slow-motion capture of the low blow heard around the world. Needless to say, it is not for the faint of heart:
"We’re running it back on February 24 😤 as John Lineker and Fabricio Andrade rematch for the vacant ONE Bantamweight World Title at ONE Fight Night 7 on Prime Video! 🏆 @fabricioandrade1 @johnlinekermma"
There was speculation from fans that Lineker, after being clearly hurt, used the groin shot as a way out of a bout that he was losing. After watching this video, however, we can see why 'Hands of Stone' couldn't continue after a hellacious shot like that. Look to see him avoid all strikes to the lower extremeties when he rematches Andrade for the belt at ONE Fight Night 7 on Februay 24.
The highly anticipated rematch between the two rivals is available live and for free to all Prime Video subscribers.
Fabricio Andrade believes he did everything right in first bout with John Lineker
Much of the conversation surrounding the first bout between Fabricio Andrade and John Lineker involved the lead-up and the aftermath. The first controversy involved Lineker missing weight and being stripped off the world title, leaving Andrade as the only eligible fighter to win the belt. Second, the No-Contest ruling made more headlines than the actual fight itself.
Yet there are still those who are in awe of what Andrade did during the fight. ‘Wonder Boy’ used his length and footwork to pick 'Hands of Stone' apart in a brilliant striking display. Despite the fact that the bout had both fighters getting a few good licks in, it was evident that 'Wonder Boy' was pulling away as the rounds went down.
In an interview with ONE Championship, Andrade spoke about how he felt about his performance that October night:
"I trained a lot, worked a lot, and sacrificed a lot to get in my best shape. I made weight, I did everything right, I was winning the fight, almost knocking him out, and the fight ended like that. From a near knockout to a no-contest, it was very frustrating. I was very sad with the result of the fight.”
From a near-knockout to a no-contest in the blink of an eye. One can only imagine the frustration Fabricio Andrade felt back at ONE on Prime Video 3. Look to see him finish the bout more definitively come February 24.
