In the world of combat sports, decisions can be very unpredictable, and even the best of the best aren't exempt from this harsh truth. In an exclusive interview with ONE Championship, former ONE bantamweight MMA world champion 'Hands of Stone' John Lineker spoke of falling victim to the scorecards.
"I always fight to knock out my opponents," Lineker said with the certainty of a man who's been burned by the scorecards before. "I'm a guy who doesn't like to leave the fight in the hands of the judges, as it happened in my last fight against Kulabdam."
Lineker's match against Kulabdam Sor Jor Piek Uthai was a painful reminder of how unpredictable decisions can be. On ONE Fight Night 27, the pair met in an intense striking showdown that had fans on the edge of their seats.
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Despite his aggressive approach and even scoring an early knockdown, the fight ultimately ended with a unanimous decision. Unfortunately for Lineker, it didn't go the way he thought it should have.
"It was left in the hands of the judges, and it ended up being a very bad result, even though I believed I was winning the fight."
John Lineker admits catching speedy Hiroki Akimoto with his KO power won't be easy: "He reacts quickly"
Next up for John Lineker is his kickboxing debut against former ONE bantamweight kickboxing world champion Hiroki Akimoto on ONE 172. And although he is determined to finish fights decisively, he knows that Akimoto is not going to be an easy foe:
"His style is faster. He's a guy who doesn't stand still in front of his opponent. He reacts quickly and throws punches. It's a very different style from mine."
Lineker vs Akimoto features on the stacked card for ONE 172: Takeru vs Rodtang, which will take place in the Saitama Super Arena in Japan on March 23, 2025. You can buy tickets here or catch the action at watch.onefc.com.
