“I’m prepared to fight five rounds” - Fabricio Andrade says he’s ready to go the distance but will end his match quick

‘Wonder Boy’ Fabricio Andrade doesn’t believe the division’s king will last long against him when they meet in the circle.

The 25-year-old Brazilian out of Phuket, Thailand, says he will end John Lineker’s reign atop ONE Championship’s 145-pound division soon and that he will only need one round to do it. In a recent interview with Tudor Leonte of Sherdog.com, Fabricio Andrade said that although he’s ready to go the five-round distance with ‘Hands of Stone’, he’s also going to bring the heat from the opening bell. The No.2-ranked bantamweight contender said:

“I’m prepared to fight five rounds, but I don’t believe he can be able to take all the damage that I’m going to bring at the start of the fight. I’ll finish him in the first.”

Andrade is scheduled to meet Lineker in the headline bout at ONE on Prime Video 3. The event will be broadcast live on October 21 via Prime Video from the Axiata Arena in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Needless to say, the stakes are incredibly high in this fight for both men.

Fabricio Andrade’s prediction of a first-round knockout, while certainly bold, isn’t unwarranted. He’s only had five fights in ONE so far, but he’s finished four opponents, knocking out his last three in the first five minutes. Over the past two years, ‘Wonder Boy’ has built a reputation as being one of the most exciting fighters in ONE Championship.

On the other side of the coin sits John Lineker, who has had a similar run in the promotion. ‘Hands of Stone’ has torn through the division, ripping apart four opponents, including longtime bantamweight king Bibiano ‘The Flash’ Fernandes to capture the golden belt in his most recent outing.

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Fabricio Andrade looking to end matters early against John Lineker

While both men have a penchant for scoring highlight-reel knockouts, their striking styles couldn’t be more vastly different.

John Lineker is a put-your-head-down kind of guy, who likes to swing wild punches without much care for the amount of damage he takes while doing so. He’s a true action hero in every sense, and he’s only going to move forward in this fight. Taking a step back isn’t an option for him.

Meanwhile, Fabricio Andrade is more of a calculated assassin, sniping opponents from the outside and using impressive movements to pick them apart with a variety of elbows, uppercuts, thunderous body kicks, and step-through knees.

Andrade’s style is so diverse that he doesn’t think Lineker will be able to keep up with him. In the ONE on Prime Video 3 virtual press conference, he said:

“He thinks I’m like all the other guys he’s fought. He has no idea what’s coming. He can throw all the punches he wants. I’m still going to knock him out.”