“I think his style is very similar to mine” - John Lineker expects fistic fireworks in Muay Thai skirmish with Alexey Balyko
Veteran Brazilian striker John Lineker will make his second straight Muay Thai appearance under ONE Championship in his scheduled match this week. Ahead of the fight, he believes fans are in for an explosive fight when he makes the walk to the ring.
The former ONE bantamweight MMA world champion will take on Russian Alexey Balyko in a featured bantamweight Muay Thai joust at ONE Fight Night 25: Nicolas vs. Eersel II on Oct. 4 at the Lumpinee Stadium in Bangkok, Thailand.
In an interview with the promotion in line with his showdown against Balyko, Lineker shared his thoughts on what his upcoming fight will look like, saying:
"My strong point is boxing, and I think his style is very similar to mine. I think what makes the difference is that I'm a guy who moves forward a lot, and he's a guy who moves more, especially to the side and backward. He doesn't move forward much. So I think that's what differentiates my style from his. I'm a guy who always move forward looking for the knockout and he's a guy who moves a lot in the cage."
The Lineker-Balyko fight is part of the 11-match ONE Fight Night 25: Nicolas-Eersel II which will air live and for free to North American fans with an active Amazon Prime Video subscription.
John Lineker bags $50,000 bonus in impressive Muay Thai debut
Heading into ONE Fight Night 25 on Oct. 4, John Lineker is coming off an impressive outing in his last fight, which was his Muay Thai debut. For his efforts, he earned a $50,000 performance bonus from ONE Chairman and CEO Chatri Sityodtong.
'Hands of Stone' knocked out American Asa Ten Pow in the second round of their scheduled three-rounder. Lineker was near perfect with his Muay Thai game, steadily tearing down his opponent with powerful strikes en-route to a dominant win.
His impressive performance was one of six rewarded with a bonus at the Denver show.
It is a showing John Lineker looks to replicate at ONE Fight Night 25 against Russian Alexey Balyko, who is out to win his fourth match in five outings under ONE Championship.