Fabricio Andrade admits John Lineker benefits from having a rematch

ONE bantamweight star Fabricio Andrade was leading the dance in his first meeting with John Lineker last October. However, he thinks Lineker will be better prepared this time around.

With their rematch for the vacant bantamweight world title set to take place at ONE Fight Night 7 on Prime Video, 'Wonder Boy' is gearing up for a hungrier version of the former champ. Andrade admitted to the South China Morning Post:

"I think he'll be more hungry now. Not many people want to have a rematch with me. For him to want a rematch with me, he knows what I did to him in the first fight. So that's why he's happy, he has to train really hard to be prepared."

John Lineker looked invincible prior to facing Fabricio Andrade, finishing Kevin Belingon, Troy Worthen, and Bibiano Fernandes en route to claiming the world title.

However, he was struggling against ‘Wonder Boy’ in their initial matchup prior to the no contest result. It will be interesting to see how much ‘Hands of Stone’ has improved from their first meeting.

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Fabricio Andrade says he thrives under the added pressure of a world title fight, offers a prediction

Since joining ONE Championship in 2020, it's been clear that Andrade possesses star qualities, one of which is his ability to thrive under pressure.

He commented on that notion when speaking with SCMP MMA:

"I like this pressure, it gives me more motivation to keep training and look for results. What I like to do to relax is all about fighting... But I'm enjoying the pressure this fight is bringing. It's a big fight, everyone is waiting for it."

The 25-year-old added:

“This fight will end in a maximum of two rounds. And it will definitely end with me knocking out John Lineker one more time ... He knows I’m better than him. His chance of winning this fight is if something extraordinary happens. But we know that I’m the best athlete, that this is my moment, and that I’m going to be the champion.”

Andrade believes the rematch will not even last as long as the first bout. This time, he's determined to get the job done.

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

All the action will be broadcast live and for free on Prime Video for all Amazon subscribers across North America.

Check out Fabricio Andrade's full conversation with SCMP MMA below: