John Lineker is thankful for his father’s hard work in providing for the family

Bantamweight contender John Lineker has noted that people like Acelino 'Popo' Freitas are inspirations, but his biggest inspiration in life is his father.

The former ONE champ has taken aspects of what his father taught him as a child and applied it to his fighting career. Lineker recently explained why his father was such a great inspiration in an interview with ONE Championship. He stated:

"My father was my greatest inspiration, my model of effort, a person who always struggled to bring sustenance into the house and not let the family lack anything. My dad wasn’t much for saying ‘I love you,’ but his actions showed us how much he loved us and how much he wanted to take care of us. That’s why he is my biggest inspiration and my role model."

John Lineker is prepping for his highly-anticipated rematch against Fabricio Andrade at ONE Fight Night 7 on Prime Video. The pair of top contenders will battle it out for the vacant bantamweight world title.

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John Lineker shares advice for up and coming fighters

Lineker has been competing at the professional level for over a decade—and he has learned a lot along the way. The 32-year-old decided to share some advice for the younger generation in an interview with MMA Sucka, stating:

“My first piece of advice is to give your dreams to God and no one else. Afterwards, you need to dedicate yourself and focus on what you want for your life. It’s difficult, it’s not easy, but when we set a goal, have focus and determination, we achieve it. Even if many say you are not capable, always believe in yourself.”

John Lineker's belief in himself has never wavered. After years of competing against high-level competition, 'Hands of Stone' finally fulfilled his goal of acquiring a world title when he won the ONE bantamweight strap in 2022.

His title-winning knockout victory over former long-time bantamweight king Bibiano Fernandes was a legendary moment within the promotion.

Check out Lineker's knockout over Bibiano Fernandes below:

Make sure to tune in to ONE Fight Night 7 on February 24 to watch John Lineker and Fabricio Andrade rematch for the vacant bantamweight title, live from the Lumpinee Boxing Stadium in Bangkok, Thailand.

Amazon Prime Video subscribers can catch the massive Muay Thai title fight live and for free this Friday night in U.S. primetime.