Former bantamweight MMA world champion John Lineker set to make kickboxing debut vs ex-champ Hiroki Akimoto at ONE 172

After making waves in both MMA and Muay Thai, former ONE world champion John Lineker is set to make his kickboxing debut at ONE 172 on March 23.

Emanating from the iconic Saitama Super Arena in Japan, 'Hands of Stone' will test out his skills in eight-ounce gloves when he meets one of ONE Championship's most accomplished strikers in the sport, Hiroki Akimoto.

"BANGER ALERT 🚨 Former ONE Bantamweight MMA World Champion John Lineker makes his kickboxing debut against former ONE Bantamweight Kickboxing World Champion Hiroki Akimoto in Japan on March 23 at ONE 172: Takeru vs. Rodtang! Who you got?"

After dominating the world of mixed martial arts for 15 years, Lineker put his knockout power to the test in the art of eight limbs and found immediate success, earning back-to-back knockouts against Asa Ten Pow and Alexey Balyko in a matter of weeks.

Now, he'll test himself in yet another sport, squaring off with Akimoto, a former WBC and ONE world titleholder.

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Hiroki Akimoto in search of a much-needed win against John Lineker at ONE 172

While Hiroki Akimoto is still clinging onto his spot as the fourth-ranked contender in ONE's bantamweight kickboxing division, the Japanese fan favorite is in desperate need of a win after coming up short in his last three outings.

In 2022, Akimoto saw his five-fight win streak snapped at the hands of Petchtanong Petchyindee at ONE 163. Following a lengthy layoff, Akimoto returned at ONE Fight Night 22 last year but came up short once again, this time against debuting Chinese sensation Wei Rui.

A third straight loss against Ilias Ennahachi at ONE Friday Fights 81 in September ended the year on a sour note for Akimoto, but if he can kickstart his 2025 with a win against one of the heaviest hitters in all of combat sports, it will put him right back into the title picture and remind the world why he is still considered to be one of the P4P best kickboxers on the planet.

ONE 172: Takeru vs. Rodtang will emanate from the Saitama Super Arena in Japan on Sunday, March 23. Head over to watch.onefc.com to learn more about how you can watch the event live.