"He likes this same style" - John Lineker expects another fiery fistfight in second Muay Thai foray vs. Alexey Balyko

John Lineker is not the kind of fighter who ever backs down from a firefight when he steps inside the circle. The former ONE bantamweight MMA world champion will always back himself to come out on top of these exchanges.

With a granite chin and dynamite in his hands, the Brazilian brawler is one of the most exciting strikers in the world regardless of the ruleset he's in.

In his last fight at ONE 168, 'Hands of Stone' made his Muay Thai debut against Asa Ten Pow, where he put on a show at the Ball Arena in Denver. After earning his first win and finish, he's back for a second time to compete in Muay Thai at ONE Fight Night 25 on Oct. 4.

He faces Alexey Balyko at Lumpinee Stadium, where Lineker is expecting his opponent to trade hands with him, as he revealed in a recent interview with ONE Championship:

"From what little I've seen, and what I've studied of his game, he's a guy who uses boxing more, just like me. In my last fight, I used boxing more, and very few kicks and elbows. I saw that he likes this same style. He likes to go for the striking, and even uses kicks, but very little. So, I see it as a fight between two athletes with very similar fighting styles. There will definitely be sparks."

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Standing with John Lineker is a risky game to play

Trading punches with John Lineker is not a strategy that many coaches would look to put into practice when cornering against him.

The Brazilian has always been a knockout machine and though Alexey Balyko may have confidence in his hands, he's never fought an opponent like Lineker.

If the Brazilian is able to replicate what he did last time out in Denver, he could be on a one-way track to facing the best in the bantamweight division.

ONE Fight Night 25 will air live in US primetime free of charge for Prime Video subscribers in North America.