John Lineker calls out Rodtang after victorious Muay Thai debut at ONE 168: Denver
John Lineker called for a Muay Thai super-fight against Rodtang.
At ONE 168, Lineker temporarily left the bantamweight MMA division and tested his striking skills in Muay Thai. The former MMA world champion exceeded expectations with a near-one-sided beatdown against Asa Ten Pow, ending with 'Hands of Stone' winning by second-round knockout.
Lineker's performance showed his skillset translates well to Muay Thai, making him an instant contender in the bantamweight division. Shortly after getting his hand raised, 'Hands of Stone' called out ONE flyweight Muay Thai world champion Rodtang during his in-ring interview with Mitch Chilson:
"Chatri, put me against Rodtang! But I can fight anyone here."
It should be noted that Rodtang would have to move up to bantamweight and take the risk of fighting a potentially bigger opponent. Meanwhile, John Lineker may need another win before fighting for a Muay Thai world title, but he could find himself fighting bantamweight king Superlek in the future.
The replay of ONE 168: Denver can be seen by North American and Canadian viewers who own an Amazon Prime Video subscription.
Watch the fight-ending sequence of Lineker vs Asa Ten Pow below:
John Lineker remains top contender in ONE bantamweight MMA division
John Lineker's Muay Thai win at ONE 168: Denver gave him several options moving forward. As previously mentioned, the hard-hitting Brazilian could continue pursuing a ONE bantamweight Muay Thai title shot by facing a top contender.
Meanwhile, Lineker is the number-one contender in the ONE bantamweight MMA division. Things are slightly complicated at the moment, as 'Hands of Stone' has fought the reigning king Fabricio Andrade twice - no-contest and fourth-round TKO.
Since his loss against Andrade, Lineker bounced back in the division with wins against fellow contenders Kim Jaw Woong (third-round knockout) and Stephen Loman (unanimous decision). Therefore, it's difficult to see anyone other than Lineker receive the next title shot unless he wants to focus on Muay Thai.