‘I Always Look For The Knockout’ – John Lineker Expects To Finish Asa Ten Pow In Muay Thai Debut At ONE 168: Denver
Martial arts fans around the world are buzzing with excitement ahead of the Muay Thai debut of all-action MMA star John “Hands of Stone” Lineker on September 6 at ONE 168: Denver.
That night in U.S. primetime, the former ONE Bantamweight MMA World Champion will square off with Asa “The American Ninja” Ten Pow – one of America’s top Muay Thai fighters – in front of a raucous Colorado crowd at Ball Arena.
With 18 highlight-reel knockouts on his resume, Lineker has firmly established himself as one of the most electrifying strikers to ever compete in MMA, but against “The American Ninja,” he’ll be facing an entirely new challenge.
He spoke to onefc.com about Ten Pow and his foray into “the art of eight limbs.”:
“Asa Ten Pow is a striking guy, a specialist in this area, and who is already used to fighting under the rules of Muay Thai. He is a very tough and technical athlete. I had the opportunity to meet him a few times backstage at ONE events, and he is a really nice guy. I am sure we will have an excellent fight.”
While Lineker is known as an ultra-aggressive and wildly entertaining striker, the Brazilian veteran is still doing his homework on Ten Pow, who comes into the bout with back-to-back knockout wins.
“Hands of Stone” is quick to credit his foe for a well-rounded striking game, well aware that the American is dangerous from any position:
“From what I’ve seen, he’s a fast guy who moves around a lot. He uses kicks and front attacks very well. He also works well with straight punches and uses his elbows a lot. He’s a tough, technical and versatile guy.
“It’s going to be a very tough fight! It’s going to be a great show because it’s going to be all about striking. I’m going to do everything I can to neutralize his strengths and get my game right.”
Despite competing in a new sport against a true specialist, Lineker plans to follow the same game plan he’s used throughout his incredible MMA career – throw concussive punches until the man in front of him is no longer standing.
Ten Pow, he says, is just another opponent in his way:
“I always look for the knockout, and it certainly won’t be any different this time. I’m going to look for the knockout all the time, round by round, and I hope I can do it. I see myself knocking out Asa Ten Pow because that’s what I like and that’s what I do when I step into the cage.”
Lineker Remains Focused On MMA
As excited as he is for his Muay Thai debut at ONE 168: Denver, John Lineker is far from done in MMA.
He says he’s open to other unique fights, including submission grappling or a special rules super-fight. But as the #1-ranked bantamweight MMA contender, “Hands of Stone” remains focused on reclaiming the 26 pounds of gold he once held.
“Hands of Stone” added:
“I don’t intend to move to Muay Thai, but I want to continue doing these special ONE fights. Now I’m going to fight in Muay Thai. But who knows, maybe later I’ll fight in the submission grappling division or do a super-fight with special rules. Everything is on the table. I want to test myself more and more. But my focus is MMA. That’s where I want to continue working.”
