Former bantamweight MMA world champ John Lineker faces off against Asa Ten Pow in Muay Thai banger at ONE 168

John Lineker is back and he's lacing up the gloves for an impending Muay Thai banger against Asa Ten Pow in Denver.

The former ONE bantamweight MMA world champion will make his Muay Thai debut against the American star at the stacked ONE 168: Denver card on September 6 at Ball Arena.

ONE Championship announced the fight earlier on its social media accounts:

"DYNAMITE matchup 🧨 Former bantamweight MMA king John Lineker makes his Muay Thai debut against Asa 'The American Ninja' Ten Pow on September 6 at ONE 168: Denver on @primevideo! @johnlinekermma @asatenpow."

Lineker is arguably the hardest-hitting striker, pound-for-pound, in mixed martial arts and it'd be interesting to see how his volatile punching power translates to Muay Thai.

'Hands of Stone', who earned his nickname due to his concussive power, is 6-2 (1 no-contest) in his ONE Championship run with four of his wins coming by way of terrifying knockout.

His biggest win, though, has to be when he sent Brazilian legend Bibiano Fernandes to the shadow realm with a devastating left cross to capture the ONE bantamweight MMA world title at ONE: Lights Out.

Ten Pow, meanwhile, is a pure striker and one of the best Muay Thai fighters from the United States.

Sporting an impressive 14-3 professional record, with two wins in ONE Championship, Ten Pow is coming off two straight knockout wins over China's Han Zi Hao and Thailand's Rambolek Chor Ajalaboon.

Tickets for ONE 168: Denver are available at Ticketmaster.

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Fabricio Andrade talks of John Lineker's status among ONE Championship's bantamweights

They may have figured in one of the most electrifying rivalries over the past two years, but Fabricio Andrade and John Lineker always put each other in high regard.

Following Lineker's calculated win over Stephen Loman at ONE Fight Night 14, Andrade said his fellow Brazilian knockout machine is still one of the top fighters in the bantamweight MMA division.

The reigning ONE bantamweight MMA world champion told the South China Morning Post:

"I mean he's the number one contender, you know, nobody can deny it, you know, he beat Loman. Loman was the guy who was in the line to fight for the title, he went there, he beat Lomas he fought Loman before Loman's got a knockout in the later rounds, so nobody can deny that he's one of the contenders, you know, and he's probably still the toughest guy in the division at the moment, you know, nobody has beat him.”