"Bro almost quit" - Fans feel John Lineker's power in his dominant ONE Championship debut against Muin Gafurov
In October 2019, John Lineker wasted no time introducing himself to the global audience when he defeated Muin Gafurov in his ONE Championship debut at ONE: Dawn of Valor, which took place inside the Istora Senayan in Jakarta, Indonesia.
The full fight replay of this dominant performance by Lineker was recently reposted by the promotion on YouTube with the video's description:
"Before we witness former ONE Bantamweight MMA World Champion John Lineker's Muay Thai debut versus American star Asa Ten Pow at ONE 168: Denver on September 6, look back at his standout ONE Championship debut against Tajik warrior Muin Gafurov at ONE: DAWN OF VALOR in 2019!"
The 'Hands of Stone' immediately showcased his power in the opening round with solid punches and kicks to Gafurov, which made him backpedal for the majority of the match.
Although he was met with resistance with a few takedown attempts, Lineker was able to fend off most of it to keep the fight standing and punish 'Tajik' with more combinations.
Eventually, the Brazilian superstar claimed the unanimous decision victory to begin his journey in ONE Championship on the right note. But Gafurov's constant backpedaling didn't escape the criticisms from fans, as users @paulmccarter908, @MarlonAgpawa-mo1hs, @TTVjcoelho, and @Ziyech1 highlighted this on their comments:
"Love how Gafurov felt that power and started running lol"
"Gafurov is running 😂😂😂"
"2:38 bro almost quit"
"16:34 you can hear Lineker shots cracking Gafurov head open"
"Gafurov runner 🏃"
John Lineker set for his Muay Thai debut against Asa Ten Pow at ONE 168: Denver
Following his successful inaugural bout, Lineker went on to win five of his next eight outings and capture the ONE bantamweight MMA world title. Although his reign was cut short, he has reached the pinnacle of success in mixed martial arts. Now, he is preparing for his Muay Thai debut on Sept. 6.
The American Top Team athlete will face Asa Ten Pow at ONE 168: Denver at the Ball Arena in a Muay Thai bantamweight contest. He is looking forward to bringing his exciting fighting style to the art of eight limbs.
ONE 168: Denver will take place at the Ball Arena in U.S. primetime on Sept. 6. Tickets for the event are available on Ticketmaster.