Black Belt Team 
On Friday, October 21, John Lineker will return to ONE Championship for the first defense of his ONE Bantamweight World Championship. Standing across the Circle from him at ONE on Prime Video 3 will be fellow Brazilian and brash contender Fabricio Andrade.
“Wonder Boy” has been needling away at the reigning king since emerging as a top contender. Andrade has called Lineker “chicken” repeatedly. However, Lineker is not phased by the comments. For “Hands of Stone,” the words only serve as motivation.
“Any opponent who talks nonsense about me only motivates me. I’m more motivated to get into the cage and do my best. So, opponents who do this kind of trash talk end up regretting it later because instead of irritating me, they are motivating me even more,” said Lineker.
Lineker is still celebrating his first world title victory with his friends and family, but his focus when the bell rings will remain the same as if he were a hungry contender. The Brazilian’s focus is to put on a show for the fans.
It is no surprise that his nonstop aggression and power striking has allowed him to become a fan favorite over the years. But “Hands of Stone” knows being exciting will not be enough, as his first challenger is exceptionally talented and brings the heat. Lineker remarked on his excellent standup and even said he plans to end the bout before the championship rounds.
“Muay Thai is a very strong weapon he has. The kicks, the knees, and the good movement, those are his strong points. And the weak point I see is his ground game. If I go down that path in the fight, it will certainly be a more dangerous fight for him,” said Lineker.
“This fight will definitely have a lot of striking, and it will be very exciting. He’s going to want to kick me a lot and come in with his knee, but I’m prepared for anything, both striking and on the ground. I see myself finishing him off in the third round.”
Andrade has shared similar visions of an early night. The challenger has finished his last three opponents by KO/TKO and wants to capture the ONE Bantamweight World Championship in the same manner. But Lineker does not see that happening, offering a warning to “Wonder Boy” about his prediction.
“I think that will be a very difficult thing for him to achieve. He won’t knock me out in any round. I’m a very tough fighter. It’s not enough for my opponent to beat me. He has to kill me if he wants to beat me,” said “Hands of Stone.”
“So, I warn him to forget about it because he won’t knock me out in any round. He’ll just keep it in his imagination because it sure as hell won’t happen in real life.”
ONE on Prime Video 3 airs live at 8 p.m. EST/5 p.m. PST on Friday, October 21.
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Before ONE Bantamweight World Champion John “Hands of Stone” Lineker defends his belt against Fabricio Andrade on October 21, relive his incredible career in…
Mixed martial arts, One fc, Mma, One championship
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