“I’m sorry I couldn’t give you guys the fight” - Bibiano Fernandes expresses disappointment over not being able to compete at ONE: Bad Blood

There's no one more disappointed than Bibiano Fernandes after news broke that his fight against John Lineker at ONE: Bad Blood had been canceled. Lineker was reported to have tested positive for COVID-19 and was not cleared to compete in the event.

Fernandes shared a photo of his combat-ready body on his Instagram page and expressed his disappointment:

“I woke up 6 am today and weighed myself in at 66kg. I had a great a camp. I’m 41 years old and I still feel like Im 25. I’m sorry I couldn’t give you guys the fight. My mind is sharp and I will stay focus for the next challenge.”

‘The Flash’ has constantly checked in with fans through his Instagram page since arriving in Singapore, providing updates on what’s going on in the days leading up to fight night.

The official weigh-ins for ONE: Bad Blood were scheduled for Thursday, and everybody had been looking forward to some fireworks when Lineker and Fernandes faced off at the ceremonial weigh-ins. It would have been the first time the two would have seen each other in person after their intense back and forth on social media.

Unfortunately, the fight has been called off for now, but the promotion is said to be working on making the fight happen real soon. The earliest possible date is February 26 at ONE: Full Circle.

---

ONE: Bad Blood goes on, headlined by a world title match

Despite the Fernandes-Lineker fight falling through, ONE: Bad Blood will still see a world title bout as Anatoly Malykhin and Kirill Grishenko battle it out for the ONE interim heavyweight world championship.

By the end of the night, one of them will be holding the gold while the other will go home with his first defeat.

Meanwhile, No.2-ranked ONE flyweight Muay Thai fighter Jonathan Haggerty takes on the division’s No.4-ranked Mongkolpetch Petchyindee. The winner of this battle could inch closer to a match with ONE flyweight Muay Thai world champion Rodtang Jitmuangnon.

Mark Abelardo will also return to action, hoping to follow up his amazing 2021 knockout victory over Emilio Urrutia. He takes on China’s Chen Rui in a bantamweight clash that could boost the winner’s chances at cracking the top five of the division.

The event will have a total of 10 matches, with four bouts on the lead card and six on the main card.