“He’s a dangerous athlete” - John Lineker careful not to underestimate Alexey Balyko ahead

Former ONE bantamweight MMA world champion and new Muay Thai fighter 'Hands of Stone' John Lineker of Brazil will return to the ONE Championship ring for his second go at 'the art of eight limbs'.

Lineker made his ONE Muay Thai debut last month at ONE 168: Denver, where he decimated 'The American Ninja' Asa Ten Pow in one round with his wild, swinging hooks.

Now that he's ready for his second Muay Thai contest against Alexey Balyko this Friday, Lineker says he is going to respect his opponent's abilities this time around.

Speaking to ONE Championship in a recent interview, Lineker shared his thoughts on Balyko and what he thinks of this fight.

'Hands of Stone' said:

"I didn't have much time to study his game, analyze his strengths and weaknesses, and come up with a strategy. But from what I saw, he has very good boxing, very fast footwork, and a guy with very hard hands. He's a dangerous athlete."

Lineker added:

"But it's hard to talk about a weak point without knowing the opponent very well. As I said, I don't know him very well, because I don't follow Muay Thai fights very often, but he's a dangerous guy and I'll need to do a great job to get a good result."

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John Lineker takes on Alexey Balyko in Muay Thai thriller at ONE Fight Night 25 on Prime Video

'Hands of Stone' John Lineker returns to Muay Thai to face dangerous Alexey Balyko in a three-round contest.

The two lock horns at ONE Fight Night 25: Nicolas vs. Eersel II on Prime Video, which broadcasts live from the historic Lumpinee Stadium in Bangkok, Thailand on Friday, October 4.

Fans in the United States and Canada can catch all the action live and absolutely free with an active Amazon Prime Video subscription.

Stay tuned to Sportskeeda MMA for all the latest news and updates surrounding the event during fight week.