John Lineker’s radar still locked on MMA gold despite victorious Muay Thai debut: “My focus is to fight for the title again”
Despite a big win in his Muay Thai debut, John Lineker still has his sights set on taking back the ONE bantamweight MMA world championship.
'Hands of Stone' returned to the Circle at ONE 168: Denver for a scrap with 'The American Ninja' Asa Ten Pow.
Though he was seen by many as the underdog, Lineker's signature power was on full display and proved to be too much for Ten Pow to handle in his 'Art of Eight Limbs' debut.
The former bantamweight MMA king ultimately got the job done in the second round via a booming right hook.
Speaking with ONE Championship following the victory, Lineker made it clear that he is still focused on mixed martial arts and running it back with the bantamweight division's top dog, Fabricio Andrade:
“In MMA, my focus is to fight for the title again, regardless of who holds the belt. It’s currently with Fabrício Andrade, so my focus is to fight him for the title.”
Is it time for Fabricio Andrade vs. John Lineker III?
John Lineker has met Andrade on two separate occasions, the first coming at ONE on Prime Video 3 in October 2022.
On that night, their bout came to an anticlimactic end after Andrade inadvertently landed a brutal low blow on Lineker forcing the referee to stop the bout and declare it a no contest in round three.
Four months later, they would run it back at ONE Fight Night 7. This time, things would come to an end in the fourth round after Lineker couldn't come out for the fifth and final round. 'Wonder Boy' was declared the winner and new ONE bantamweight MMA world champion.
Since then, Lineker has bounced back in a big way, earning a third-round KO against Kim Jae Woong followed by a unanimous decision victory over Stephen Loman.
Should Lineker get his long-awaited trilogy fight with Andrade, or does 'Hands of Stone' have a little more work to do in the division?
If you missed any of the action, ONE Championship fans in the United States and Canada can watch the ONE 168: Denver replay on demand via Amazon Prime Video.