With a trio of high-stake matchups going down this Friday in U.S. primetime, the always-entertaining bantamweight MMA division is set to take center stage at ONE Fight Night 18: Gasanov vs. Oh on Prime Video.

Current #1-ranked bantamweight MMA contender and former divisional kingpin John “Hands of Stone” Lineker is just one of many who will be paying close attention to those fights once the action gets underway at the Lumpinee Boxing Stadium in Bangkok, Thailand.

John Lineker hails the bantamweight division for its exciting place

The Brazilian recently spoke about the division, which is being hailed as one of the most exciting in all of combat sports right now.

According to Lineker, speedy and skilled bantamweights deliver high-paced wars more often than not:

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“It’s motivating to know we’re being noticed. What makes this division so exciting is the different fighting styles each fighter offers. As it is a lighter weight division, the fighters are faster and move more around the cage, which adds even more excitement to the fights.

In this division, fighters give their all inside the cage and always make fights a real war. So, I believe that’s what makes fans enjoy the fights in our weight division.”

Lineker is pleased with the prominence the division is finally getting

ONE Fight Night 18 will see a number of the bantamweight division’s most entertaining athletes in action, including #3-ranked knockout artist “Pretty Boy” Kwon Won Il, flashy fan favorite Shinechagtga Zoltsetseg, #4-ranked phenom Artem Belakh, and undefeated promotional newcomer Ibragim Duaev.

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A beloved brawler and explosive striker, “Hands of Stone” is a massive superstar in his own right.

He says he’s proud to see the bantamweight MMA division getting so much shine on ONE’s first U.S. primetime show of 2024, and he’s sure that the six athletes competing this Friday will deliver the excitement the division is known for.

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Lineker explained:

“It is something very important for all athletes. It’s something that motivates us, that makes us dedicate ourselves even more inside the cage. It’s something that makes me very happy. I hope that everyone in the division can continue delivering excitement and putting on exciting fights for the fans, so that we can continue to attract everyone’s attention and maintain the high level of the division.”