"It would be a war" - Muay Thai newcomer John Lineker wants to test himself against top dogs Superlek, Jonathan Haggerty
John Lineker has competed at the very highest level of his weight class for a long time now.
The former ONE bantamweight MMA world champion has racked up a lot of experience, which has only made him more dangerous.
All of this time spent competing against the best fighters in the bantamweight MMA division came in handy at ONE 168 where he competed under a new ruleset for the first time.
His transition to fighting in Muay Thai was eased by the fact that Lineker already has a signature style that he knows how to implement. The Brazilian wrecking machine approach was in typical destructive form at ONE 168 where he stopped Asa Ten Pow in the second round.
Now, just like his career in MMA, Lineker doesn't want to be just another contender, he wants to take on the biggest challenges out there.
In a recent interview with ONE Championship, the former champion spoke about the prospect of facing the two men who were involved in the main event at the Ball Arena in Denver:
"A fight against Superlek [Kiatmoo9] or [Jonathan] Haggerty would definitely be crazy! It would be a war, I have no doubt about that."
John Lineker presents a tough challenge for anyone in the world
What John Lineker lacks in Muay Thai experience, he makes up for in other ways.
We saw on Sept. 6 that though he may not have a diverse striking game that you would expect from a top fighter in this ruleset, he doesn't need it.
Even against the likes of Superlek and Jonathan Haggerty, they're going to have to find a way to deal with his constant forward pressure and heavy hands.
As Asa Ten Pow found out firsthand, striking with Lineker at a distance isn't an option when he walks through your best shots and counters with huge power.
The full replay of ONE 168 is available on demand for Prime Video subscribers in the United States and Canada.