“Hard work every day” - John Lineker says fight camp for Hiroki Akimoto clash at ONE 172 has been all gas and no brakes

John Lineker is pulling out all the stops ahead of his clash with Hiroki Akimoto at ONE 172: Takeru vs. Rodtang.

After delivering a pair of impressive knockouts in the art of eight limbs last year, the former ONE bantamweight MMA world champion will make his kickboxing debut on Sunday, March 23 inside the legendary Saitama Super Arena.

'Hands of Stone' will be jumping straight into the fire, taking on the bantamweight kickboxing division's fourth-ranked contender and former titleholder Hiroki Akimoto.

Gearing up for what is sure to be an incredibly tough test, Lineker offered some insight into his intense training camp leading up to his return at ONE 172.

"The camps for my fights are always very intense, it's hard work every day," Lineker told ONE. "We always do a month of intense preparation and during the week of the fight the pace starts to slow down so the body can rest, and there's also managing the weight, which is very exhausting."

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Will John Lineker conquer yet another sport at ONE 172?

Aside from being a former world champion in mixed martial arts, John Lineker has proven time and time again that his 'Hands of Steel' are capable of KO'ing anyone in any combat sport.

In September, Lineker landed an impressive second-round knockout over Asa Ten Pow in his Muay Thai debut at ONE 168: Denver.

Less than a month later, he made quick work of Alexey Balyko, finishing the Russian standout in round one with another highlight-reel KO.

But as Lineker ventures into yet another sport, he meets an accomplished kickboxing star in desperate need of a win after falling short in his last three outings.

Will Hiroki Akimoto break through and earn his first win in three years, or will Lineker show the world that his hands are just as dangerous in eight-ounce gloves as they are in four-ouncers?

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.