John Lineker looking to polish his already deadly boxing for pivotal clash against Stephen Loman

John Lineker is often considered the hardest pound-for-pound puncher in MMA, and yet the Brazilian star isn’t content with just having that terrifying reputation.

‘Hands of Stone’ rightfully earned his scary nickname, and he plans to make those dynamite fists even more grim. Lineker plans to unleash a better and stronger boxing game when he faces Stephen Loman in a pivotal bantamweight MMA contest at ONE Fight Night 14 on September 29, US primetime, at Singapore Indoor Stadium.

In an interview with ONE Championship, Lineker said he’s aware of how dangerous the best fighters in the bantamweight division are.

The Brazilian star admitted that Loman, the No.2-ranked bantamweight contender, is one of the most elusive fighters in the division and someone who will easily dodge oncoming attacks.

The former ONE bantamweight MMA world champion said:

“All the athletes that are well ranked in this division are dangerous because they have the same goal of trying to be champion. As I said, Loman is a guy who moves a lot, which makes it difficult for those who like striking. In addition, he has a good takedown game and good ground and pound. So, I need to work on my boxing well and always be prepared to defend his takedown attempts.”

Lineker is currently ranked No.1 in the volatile bantamweight standings, and he feels a win over Loman will lead to a trilogy bout against reigning ONE bantamweight MMA world champion Fabricio Andrade.

The 33-year-old is 5-1 (1 no contest) in his ONE Championship tenure, with four of his wins ending via earth-shattering knockout.

Loman, meanwhile, is one of the most versatile fighters in the promotion. While he uses a shifty wushu base, ‘The Sniper’ can easily switch his offensive sets and choose to grapple if he feels it.

The Filipino standout is a perfect 3-0 in ONE Championship and is coming off a dominant unanimous decision win over Brazilian legend and former bantamweight king Bibiano Fernandes.

ONE Fight Night 14 is available live and free to all Prime Video subscribers in North America.