John Lineker breaks down what makes Hiroki Akimoto a tricky adversary: “He gets in and out very quickly”

Former undisputed ONE bantamweight MMA world champion turned Muay Thai kickboxer 'Hands of Stone' John Lineker of Brazil is getting ready to face the toughest test of his time as a pure striker.

Lineker made the transition from MMA to Muay Thai last year, going 2-1 since in 'The Art of Eight Limbs'. But now, he's getting set to enter the world of kickboxing as he faces former divisional champion Hiroki Akimoto.

Speaking to ONE Championship in a recent interview, Lineker talked about Akimoto and what he thinks of the Japanese fighter.

'Hands of Stone' told the world's largest martial arts organization:

"Akimoto's strong point is his speed and movement during combat. He's a guy who hits, moves a lot and has a good speed attack. He gets in and out very quickly with his attacks."

It will be Lineker's heavy hands and granite chin versus Akimoto's technical precision and kickboxing experience when the two go head-to-head in an interesting clash of styles.

Fans won't have to wait long to witness John Lineker's highly anticipated ONE Championship kickboxing debut.

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John Lineker to battle former bantamweight king Hiroki Akimoto at ONE 172 in Japan

Brazilian hard-hitter 'Hands of Stone' John Lineker is ready to make his ONE Championship kickboxing debut when he takes on former ONE bantamweight kickboxing world champion Hiroki Akimoto of Japan.

The pair locl horns at ONE 172: Takeru vs. Rodtang.

The event is set to broadcast live from the iconic Saitama Super Arena in Saitama, Japan, this Sunday, March 23rd.

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

Stay tuned to Sportskeeda MMA for all the latest news and updates surrounding the event as it happens.