‘No Interest In Fighting Any Other Opponent’ – John Lineker Wants One More Shot At Fabricio Andrade
Former ONE Bantamweight MMA World Champion John Lineker says that his rivalry with current titleholder Fabricio “Wonder Boy” Andrade is not yet over.
After an electrifying four-fight run in Muay Thai and kickboxing bouts, “Hands of Stone” is ready to return to his mixed martial arts roots – and there’s only one man he wants to face.
The heavy-handed Brazilian brawler wants nothing more than a third date with Andrade.
He explained to onefc.com why he sees himself as the rightful next challenger for the ONE Bantamweight MMA World Title:
“I don’t see any other candidate for the title other than myself. Regardless of whether or not I have faced the athletes in the top five, I know that none of them are ahead of me in the rankings.
“What I want now is to fight for the title again, and I have no interest in fighting any other opponent other than Fabricio Andrade.”
Lineker’s foray into the striking arts delivered plenty of thrills.
He scored back-to-back knockouts over Muay Thai standouts Asa Ten Pow and Alexey Balyko before dropping hard-fought decisions against Kulabdam Sor Jor Piek Uthai and former ONE Bantamweight Kickboxing World Champion Hiroki Akimoto.
According to Lineker, those fights have kept him sharp while he patiently waits for a shot at the 26 pounds of gold he lost to Andrade:
“At first, it was to keep myself active and also to be able to earn some extra money. But it was also good because I was able to test myself, and I believe I did very well.
“I was very happy with that. I think in the end, it was a good combination of business and pleasure. I stayed active, tested myself in other areas, and made some extra money. I am very happy with the results I achieved in these fights.”
Prior to his striking fights, Lineker picked up pivotal MMA victories over Kim Jae Woong and Stephen Loman, solidifying himself as the division’s #1-ranked contender.
The 34-year-old is confident that he’s done enough to cement his status – and said that no other divisional matchups are enticing:
“I actually have no interest in fighting any other athlete because the fight that makes sense now is against Fabricio Andrade. My thoughts, my focus, and my target are only Fabricio. I’m not looking at any other opponent other than Fabricio Andrade.”
Lineker Opens Up On Past Fights Against Andrade
John Lineker and Fabricio Andrade share a complex history that began in October 2022 at ONE on Prime Video 3, back when “Hands of Stone” put his gold on the line against his Brazilian compatriot.
Their first encounter ended in a disappointing no contest when an accidental groin strike left Lineker unable to continue.
They would rematch four months later, and that time around, Andrade claimed the ONE Bantamweight MMA World Title with an unforgettable TKO victory after four rounds of blistering action.
Considering that background, Lineker wouldn’t consider a third fight a true trilogy:
“We talk about a trilogy, but in reality, I see it as a second fight, since I disregard the first one because it was a fight without a result. An illegal blow was made that made it impossible for me to return to the fight. So, I disregard this fight.”
If granted another crack at Andrade, “Hands of Stone” said he would make a key change to his fight preparations.
Wherever that potential matchup takes place, Lineker believes that proper acclimatization would make a serious difference:
“I would arrive in the country in advance so I could adapt to the time zone and so my body could get used to the climate. I think that’s what I would do differently because in the first fight, I felt a bit out of sorts at the end of the rounds because I arrived right before the fight. If I’m not mistaken, I arrived only five days early. That really hurt me.”
