“It’s very nice to dream” - John Lineker brushes off Fabricio Andrade’s claim of turning him into a wrestler

Two of ONE Championship’s most devastating finishers will meet this Friday in the main event of ONE on Prime Video 3. Reigning world champion John Lineker will put his belt on the line against No.2-ranked contender Fabricio Andrade.

With the bantamweight world title up for grabs, the pair are guaranteed to produce a must-watch contest when they clash in Kuala Lumpur. Despite both men’s impressive collection of finishes, Andrade believes that he has the tools to stop John Lineker from implementing his ferocious striking style.

But speaking at the virtual media day faceoffs, the champion refuted Andrade’s claims that he will turn him into a wrestler.

“It’s very nice to dream. But I’m ready for him. I have over 50 fights and I have never been knocked out yet, so yeah. He’s coming to get what [he thinks] is his, but I’m ready for him.”

Undefeated in their combined nine fights in the circle, and with both men having finished their respective last three opponents, it’s hard to imagine this fight not catching fire from the start.

Whilst Andrade has put together five consecutive wins since joining the promotion with three straight first-round stoppages, John Lineker is a whole new level of opposition. The champ is also fresh off of beating Bibiano Fernandes earlier this year to become the world champion.

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“My hand was too heavy” - John Lineker explains the origin of his nickname ‘Hands of Stone’

ONE bantamweight world champion John Lineker doesn’t just have one of the best nicknames in MMA, he has the backstory and resume to back it up.

‘Hands of Stone’ isn’t just his moniker, it’s his defining trait. You only have to look back at his 17 career knockouts to realize that.

In an interview with ONE Championship, the Brazilian provided a bit of backstory to his memorable nickname and explained how he got it in the first place.

“That nickname started in boxing. I started boxing at 12 years old, and I was very small and skinny, but I always sparred with athletes older and heavier than me. So, when I hit them, they said that my hand was too heavy, especially for my age and height. And then they started to say that my hand felt like a stone.”

Lineker’s ferocious power will once again be on display this Friday when he looks to defend his championship for the first time against fellow ferocious finisher, Fabricio Andrade. With both men coming into the fight with three consecutive stoppages each, it’s unlikely that the judges will have a busy night.

John ‘Hands of Stone’ Lineker will once again be looking to shut the lights out, just like he did earlier this year when he dethroned Fernandes in March.