John Lineker knows the key to beating Hiroki Akimoto at ONE 172: “My ability to withstand blows”

John Lineker will rely on his heavy hands and his steel-like chin when he meets former ONE bantamweight kickboxing world titleholder Hiroki Akimoto.

After testing his mettle in Muay Thai with great success, 'Hands of Stone' will strap on a pair of eight-ounce gloves, making his kickboxing debut against Akimoto at ONE 172: Takeru vs. Rodtang inside the legendary Saitama Super Arena in Japan on Sunday, March 23.

Throughout his career, Lineker has largely relied on his impressive knockout power.

That will be no different when the former ONE bantamweight MMA world champion meets one of the best P4P kickboxers on the planet.

"I believe that my boxing, my heavy hand, is the big difference in all my fights," Lineker told ONE Championship in a recent interview.

"I believe that my striking is very strong and my absorption of blows is also above average. I always go for it and I think that's what sets me apart, my heavy hand, my aggressive style, and my ability to withstand blows of my opponents."

---

John Lineker is cutting no corners while studying Hiroki Akimoto's game ahead of ONE 172

Though Hiroki Akimoto has struggled to find the win column in recent years, that doesn't change the fact that the Japanese fan favorite is one of the best strikers in all of kickboxing.

With that in mind, Lineker is doing his due diligence—studying Akimoto's skill set to try and find a potential weak point.

"I'm analyzing his game and looking for gaps to exploit in the fight," Lineker added. "But we're still analyzing his game, so I can't yet say there's a weak point where I can impose my game."

While Akimoto has bagged big wins over names like Zhang Chenglong, Qiu Jianliang, and Capitan Petchyindee, the fourth-ranked bantamweight kickboxing contender has not seen his hand raised since March 26, 2022.

Will Akimoto's drought end at ONE 172, or will Lineker land himself another epic finish on martial arts' biggest global stage?

ONE 172: Takeru vs. Rodtang will emanate from the Saitama Super Arena in Japan on Sunday, March 23. Head over to watch.onefc.com to learn more about how you can watch the event live.