“I'm the only one” - John Lineker confident he can unseat MMA champ Fabricio Andrade after Muay Thai and kickboxing detour

Former ONE bantamweight MMA world champion turned Muay Thai kickboxer John Lineker believes his striking has reached a new level following a successful stint in ONE Championship Muay Thai.

Lineker went 2-0 in the 'art of eight limbs' before losing his first Muay Thai bout last January. However, he has looked phenomenal in a pair of emphatic knockout victories in the pure striking discipline.

Speaking to ONE Championship in a recent interview, Lineker says he believes he can give current MMA king Fabricio Andrade a run for his money now that he's a better striker.

'Hands of Stone' said:

"I definitely think about doing this trilogy with Fabricio. I'm very active, so there's no reason why I shouldn't do this fight against him. And I believe I'm next in line. Right now I can't see anyone who can compete with Fabricio. I'm the only one who can compete with Fabricio. Other athletes in the division are coming in strong, but right now I believe I'm the right guy to compete with Fabricio."

The first fight between Lineker and Andrade ended in a No Contest after a low blow. But the rematch just months later saw 'Wonder Boy' taking a fourth-round TKO win to capture the undisputed bantamweight MMA gold.

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John Lineker heads to kickboxing to face Hiroki Akimoto at ONE 172

John Lineker will now try his hand at kickboxing when he faces former ONE bantamweight kickboxing world champion Hiroki Akimoto at ONE 172 on March 23.

Fans in the United States and Canada can catch all the action live via global pay-per-view on watch.onefc.com.

Stay tuned to Sportskeeda MMA for all the latest news and updates surrounding the John Lineker vs. Hiroki Akimoto fight as it happens.