“I Think I Deserve It” – John Lineker Eyes Revenge, Calls for Rematch With Fabricio Andrade

Published 01/11/2024, 4:17 AM EST

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John Lineker knows what he wants, and he’s trying to manifest it into existence. The top-ranked bantamweight MMA contender will be watching closely this Friday, January 12, when ONE Fight Night 18: Gasanov vs. Oh goes down, as three pivotal bouts in his division are set to take place.

Ranked contenders Artem Belakh and Kwon Won Il will both be in action against dangerous opponents as they look to take one step closer to a shot at reigning champion Fabricio Andrade’s coveted strap. However, no one is closer to a shot at “Wonder Boy” than Lineker himself.

John Lineker wants to run back and forth with Fabricio Andrade

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Since suffering a loss to his Brazilian compatriot at ONE Fight Night 7 last February, Lineker has racked off a couple of impressive wins. He knocked out South Korean hard-hitter Kim Jae Woong at ONE Fight Night 13 in August and followed it up by defeating #2-ranked contender Stephen Loman a month later to cement his spot as the best fighter in the division outside of Andrade.

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John Lineker has now made his intentions crystal clear – “I want to fight for the title again. I think I deserve it.” The 33-year-old even argued his own case. “I come from two good victories, and I believe there is no other fight that makes sense other than a fight for the belt.”

Lineker fought a battle-hardened fight against Andrade last year but the taste of defeat was unavoidable. The battle went down till the fifth round where Andrade won by way of TKO. John Lineker wants his revenge but he also has his eyes set on Muay Thai and Boxing fights.

Speaking to ONE Championship, ‘Hands of Stone’ said he wants to reclaim his lost gold, but he isn’t closing the doors on super-fights while he waits.

Lineker’s potential shift to Boxing or Muay Thai

Down in the conversation, John Lineker emphasized that he also has ambitions for other sports as well. “But in the meantime, I would like to do a Muay Thai or Boxing fight…I want to fight for the title, but it looks like Fabrício Andrade is going to undergo surgery and won’t fight for a while. So, I hope I can do some super-fight until he comes back and puts the belt on the line,” said John Lineker.

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With Lineker without a fight right now and Andrade recovering from injury, the fighters in the division competing at ONE Fight Night 18 will have the opportunity to climb up the rankings. And the division could look very different come Sunday.

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All the action from the iconic Lumpinee Boxing Stadium in Bangkok, Thailand, will be shown live and for free on Prime Video for fans across North America – as well as with multiple broadcast partners in 190 countries around the world.

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Written by:

Suryakant Das

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I'm Suryakant Das, an avid sports enthusiast from a family that cherishes the world of sports. I still vividly recall the day my father took me to watch Indian wrestling, sparking my fascination with the discipline and the aura of those warriors. Over time, my love for combat sports grew, and now, I'm a UFC writer at EssentiallySports.
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Edited by:

Aakash Nair