In combat sports, former ONE Bantamweight MMA World Champion John Lineker has achieved all of his goals and more. And he attributes that to the ONE Championship’s available options.
The Brazilian’s extraordinary knockout power made him famous in the all-encompassing sport. He soon became known as “Hands of Stone” as a result of that.
In 2019, Lineker made his ONE Championship debut. In his first four fights, he was knocked out three times. Against Lineker, Troy Worthen and Kevin Belingon both met tragic ends. He was then declared the ONE Bantamweight MMA World Champion following the third stoppage.
Longtime king Bibiano Fernandes lost the gold at ONE: LIGHTS OUT in March 2022 to the 34-year-old. In the second round, his trademark firepower defeated his countryman, enabling him to land vicious blows and seize the division’s crown.
However, Lineker’s quest for the World Title never got underway. When he missed weight against Fabricio Andrade, he lost the crown on the scales. Lineker’s hopes of winning the gold again were dashed when Andrade glistened in a fourth-round finish in their rematch for the vacant title in February 2023 at ONE Fight Night 7.
“Hands of Stone” returned to contention. And the thrills kept on coming as he knocked out Kim Jae Woong, outlasted Stephen Loman, and faced Shinya Aoki in an openweight MMA clash on short-notice in Japan at ONE 165.
He currently has 37 MMA victories and an incredible 18 knockouts. The fact that the big hitter’s handiwork translated flawlessly into the art of eight limbs was therefore not surprising to anyone.
In three fights, he recorded two knockout victories. The first took place at ONE 168 in September of last year against American Muay Thai sensation Asa Ten Pow. The next was at ONE Fight Night 25 in October of last year, where he faced Russian finisher Alexey Balyko.
Having the chance to practice Muay Thai rekindled the OCS Jiu-Jitsu talent. It provided him with a new mission. A new outlook. Additionally, he commends ONE Championship’s diverse business model for enabling his success.
“I think it’s really interesting what ONE does, allowing athletes to compete in other sports within the organization. This has benefited me a lot, both in terms of earning money and staying active,” he said.
“I think this is an important factor, and I hope ONE continues to give these opportunities to the organization’s athletes. I can only thank and congratulate ONE for these opportunities.”
For fighters attempting new disciplines in the ONE Championship, John Lineker provides guidance
The idea of venturing into unknown area might be frightening. particularly in the combat sports industry.
John Lineker, the former ONE Bantamweight MMA World Champion, has gone through both pain and loss during his transition to Muay Thai. He is therefore cautioning combatants who want to move to do so.
Although participating in a variety of sports is a fantastic aspect of the ONE Championship, Lineker cautions other competitors from taking it easy.
“The first step is for the guy to know where he is in his career and whether it’s really worth it for him to try out another sport,” he said.
“Then, he needs to prepare specifically for the sport he’s going to fight in. That’s the advice I give.”
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