You won't get the nickname 'Hands of Stone' if you have pillows for your hands. John Lineker, the newly-crowned ONE bantamweight world champion, earned this monicker. Though he is not the first fighter to use this nickname, he might be the most legit aside from the original owner, boxing legend Roberto Duran.
In a recent Instagram post by ONE, we saw the Brazilian world champion snap a thick tree branch with his bare fist. That's true raw power. We can only imagine what those fists can do when they collide on someone's jaw.
Watch the video here:
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Lineker is one of the hardest punchers in the lower weight classes in MMA. The sheer force of his punches has knocked out most of his opponents, including the man he took the title from, Bibiano Fernandes.
It must also be noted that Lineker is just the second man to knock out Fernandes in his long career and is the first to do so in over a decade. It's a testament to the power in those 'Hands of Stone'.
John Lineker may have a new challenger in Fabricio Andrade
At ONE 158 earlier this month, we saw the emergence of perhaps a new challenger to ONE bantamweight world champion John Lineker's belt. 'Wonder Boy' Fabricio Andrade recorded his third straight KO/TKO win to top off a red-hot 7-fight winning streak.
The Brazilian did so by folding a fellow knockout artist, 'Pretty Boy' Kwon Won Il. The KO was so impressive that ONE awarded Andrade a $50,000 performance bonus for it.
Both Kwon and Andrade are considered two of the most dangerous knockout artists in the division. The bout was deemed the proverbial "unstoppable force meets an immovable object" match-up.
Right from the get-go, Andrade threw a left roundhouse kick to Kwon's mid-section, seemingly telling the Korean that he has more weapons than just his explosive hands.
After a few intense exchanges on the feet, 'Wonder Boy' connected again with the same left kick to the body. The timing and impact were perfect as Kwon fell to the ground in utter pain, handing Andrade the win via KO.
In his post-fight interview, Andrade unsurprisingly called out world champ John Lineker, whom he's been calling out for months:
"I have been working a lot with my kicks. Everything, you know. And I knew he [Kwon] have some openings and I knew when I touch him, I have some different power, you know. I have some different speed and I knew I was going to finish him and I know I'm gonna finish [ONE bantamweight champion] John Lineker. Get ready boy, you are next."
Though an official fight has yet to be announced between the two, it's hard to deny that Andrade is the perfect next opponent for Lineker. It will be an epic battle that will surely see someone go out before the final bell.