ONE Fight Night 7 will serve as a turning point in John Lineker’s storied career.
The former bantamweight world champion will enter his rematch with Fabricio Andrade with a massive chip on his shoulder. The fight is scheduled for February 24 inside the Lumpinee Stadium in Bangkok, Thailand.
The entire card will stream free to Amazon Prime Video subscribers in the United States and Canada.
Lineker and Andrade have already developed a fierce rivalry in a short time. The pair of Brazilian destroyers beat each other senseless in an epic back-and-forth on ONE on Prime Video 3 last year.
‘Hands of Stone’, however, got the worst of it. Lineker lost his world title before he even stepped foot in the circle after failing to meet his obligations on the scale. The end result of that match added more salt to his open wound, as ‘Wonder Boy’ unintentionally hit the 32-year-old in the nether regions.
The sheer impact of that devastating blow even shattered the cup in his groin. He was unable to continue and the match was declared an unfortunate void.
Since then, John Lineker has heard every insult in the book coming from Andrade and, frankly, from most of the public. The Brazilian KO artist, for his part, has always been a man of few words and would rather speak with his fists.
With that in mind, let’s take a closer look at what’s at stake for John Lineker in ONE Fight Night 7.
#3. Pride
John Lineker refuses to engage in a verbal war with Andrade, but it’s clear he still has no love for his brazen rival.
As expected, ‘Wonder Boy’ unleashed a torrent of obscenities after his first match. He even questioned Lineker’s character, stating that he simply gave up mid-fight and used the low blow as his way out.
Being labeled a “quit” could, of course, be the worst for a professional athlete, especially a prized boxer. As much as Lineker would love to turn the other cheek, Andrade crossed the line with that accusation.
It’s time for the Tiger Muay Thai fighter to pay the piper, and Lineker has the perfect tools in his hands to collect on that debt.
Obviously, Lineker’s main goal is to reclaim the vacant bantamweight throne. But make no mistake about it, this grudge match is about restoring his pride.
#2. Reputation as an enduring fighter
To be fair, Fabricio Andrade stuck to his brilliant game plan and was actually outpointing John Lineker in their first fight. The 25-year-old survived the former world champion’s trademark hooks and avoided finishing in the second round.
‘Wonder Boy’ even hurt ‘Hands of Stone’ with a knee to the body before the foul that ended the fight. But Lineker has never been stopped in 45 fights of his career. That iron chin of his is the stuff legends are made of.
On the other hand, Andrade was extremely close to ending that streak. He will go into this rematch with the utmost confidence knowing that he nearly eliminated one of the most enduring fighters in MMA history.
Lineker, on the other hand, will do everything in his power to win this match and avoid the same mistakes that nearly cost him in their first meeting.
#1. John Lineker’s legacy as ONE World Champion
John Lineker finally struck gold early last year when he mercilessly knocked out fellow countryman Bibiano Fernandes to become the new king of the bantamweights.
‘Manos de Piedra’ would like nothing more than to hit Andrade with the same feverish intensity and put him out of his misery.
But first, he’s got to get that jumpsuit off of him and this time hit the 145-pound limit.
Despite Lineker’s impressive professional resume, weight issues have always plagued him. His past finally caught up with him at the ONE Championship, and his supposed world title reign was over before it began.
After that embarrassing ordeal, Lineker understands that he’s lucky to have an immediate shot at getting that belt back.
‘Manos de Piedra’ still has a chance to save his legacy with a resounding victory against an opponent of Andrade’s caliber.