‘The Guy Will Go Far’ – John Lineker Expects MMA Rising Star Lucas Gabriel To Continue Ascent At ONE Fight Night 31
Former ONE Bantamweight MMA World Champion John “Hands of Stone” Lineker will be paying close attention to ONE Fight Night 31: Kongthoranee vs. Nong-O II, as the show will feature his Brazilian compatriot and past training partner Lucas Gabriel.
Gabriel will make his U.S. primetime debut this Friday, May 2, when he squares off with Chinese veteran “The Warrior” Zhang Lipeng in a lightweight MMA bout at Bangkok’s Lumpinee Stadium.
Lineker knows the 25-year-old rising star well after spending plenty of time together on the mats in Brazil.
“Gabriel is a friend of mine. He’s trained here with our team,” the former titleholder told onefc.com. “He always came to train with us here in the city of Paranagua. He’s a good guy.”
The tight-knit relationship began when Gabriel committed to traveling over an hour from his home in Curitiba to Paranagua twice a week to help prepare “Hands of Stone” for his ONE Bantamweight MMA World Title clash against Fabricio “Wonder Boy” Andrade in late 2022.
A natural southpaw, the young athlete proved to be an invaluable asset, as he mimicked Andrade’s style and kept the former bantamweight king sharp.
“Training with Lucas helped me a lot with my striking, kicks, and knees. He’s a tough guy, very good on the ground, and has a very good striking,” Lineker explained.
“So, training with him for the fight against Fabrício helped me withstand the kicks and knees and stay on my feet. Gabriel helped me a lot during my training camp.”
Gabriel has since built an impressive reputation in ONE Championship, winning three consecutive matches at the promotion’s weekly Asia primetime event series, ONE Friday Fights.
Now boasting a stellar 9-1 professional record with a 66 percent finishing rate and a current seven-bout winning streak, Gabriel is preparing for the biggest moment of his MMA career at ONE Fight Night 31 this week.
For his part, “Hands of Stone” believes the talented upstart has only scratched the surface of his potential in the world’s largest martial arts organization.
“I’m sure Gabriel will be very successful in ONE,” Lineker added. “I have no doubt that the guy will go far.”
