John Lineker Reflects on the Vicious Knockout of Bibiano Fernandes – ‘It Represents My Life’
Follow Us
John Lineker finally achieved the status of a World Champion. ‘Hands of Stones’ dethroned the longtime ONE Bantamweight World Champion Bibiano Fernandes at ONE: LIGHTS OUT.
In his 44th fight, the 31-year-old knocked out ‘The Flash’ to gain the ONE Bantamweight gold. ‘Hands of Stones’ relied on his power to get the job done at the Singapore Indoor Stadium.
ADVERTISEMENT
Article continues below this ad
However, ‘The Flash’ had his moments in the fight. In the first round, Fernandes dropped Lineker, but the American Top Team representative wasn’t going to let this opportunity pass him. Lineker quickly recovered and found the finish in a crazy exchange in the second round.
During the post-fight press conference, Lineker, 35-9, was emotional. He said, “This victory means a lot for me. It shows my life, my history, where I’m from, and where I managed to come.”
“Yes, I was the striker, he was the BJJ guy. But I trained very hard to be confident in grappling and this is my history. This is where I managed to put myself into, so it represents my life.”
The bout was rescheduled three times before Lineker got the opportunity to go against Fernandes. Thus, it gave Lineker ample amount of time to secure his first ONE World Championship.
Key Reasons why John Lineker became the ONE Bantamweight World Champion
‘Hands of Stone’ can shut out anybody who he touches. However, apart from that, there were many factors that contributed to Lineker’s win.
Composed Lineker:
Trending
Patrick Mahomes & Brittany Unexpectedly Silent as Mahomes Family Swarmed With Wishes on Brother Jackson’s Birthday
May 16, 2024 02:07 PM EDT
“Could Hear Jeanie Buss & Rob Pelinka Chuckling”: LeBron James Declared to Be Manipulating NBA World With Obvious Bluff
May 17, 2024 12:58 PM EDT
Big Setback for Shaq, as $155 Billion Company Eyes Charles Barkley and Kenny Smith Post-TNT Era
May 17, 2024 10:54 PM EDT
‘Rattled’ Scottie Scheffler Reveals Police Officer’s Unsettling Question That Left Him Speechless
May 17, 2024 10:07 PM EDT
Joe Rogan Wants to Make MMA Difficult After Dana White Told to Remove Cage From UFC Fights – “Better if It Was Like a Basketball Court”
May 16, 2024 05:03 PM EDT
Get instantly notified of the hottest stories via Google! Click on Follow Us and Tap the Blue Star.
Follow Us
Coming into the fight, both fighters were verbally going after each other. However, during the fight, Lineker appeared to be the calmer fighter. Whereas his counterpart, Fernandes, looked angry. A calm Linker was able to manage the distance and make the right choices in the wild exchanges.
View this post on Instagram
Also, it appeared that ‘The Flash’ was over-looking Lineker. Even on the ground, he looked for the ground and pound instead of securing the position and using his grappling skills.
Father Time:
ADVERTISEMENT
Article continues below this ad
The 41-year-old, Fernandes, was a long-reigning ONE Bantamweight Champion. Even though on paper, the AMC Pankration product appeared as the better fighter, father time took care of his advantages. Even the ONE supremo Chatri Sityodtong in his post-fight mentioned Fernandes not being the same fighter.
Weight Management:
ADVERTISEMENT
Article continues below this ad
Lineker used to struggle on the scale prior to his ONE run. However, because of ONE’s hydration tests, fighters compete at their natural weight. Thus, it helped Lineker. Also, Fernandes, struggling to make weight against the knockout artist, worked in Lineker’s favor.
Also Read – Itsuki Hirata Vs Jihin Radzuan at Atomweight Added to an Already Stacked Card at One: X