John Lineker loses world title on the scales, only Fabricio Andrade will be eligible to win the gold

Reigning ONE bantamweight world champion John Lineker failed to make the 145-pound weight limit for his contest against Fabricio Andrade. The clash between two of the best bantamweights in ONE Championship in the main event of ONE on Prime Video 3 has resultantly been hit with a massive curveball.

Lineker was scheduled to defend the ONE bantamweight world title against No. 2-ranked Fabricio Andrade at the Axiata Arena in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, on Friday, October 21, on US primetime.

During the official weigh-ins for the event, ‘Hands of Stone’ passed ONE Championship’s hydration test but came in half a pound heavier than the bantamweight limit of the promotion. He later tested again and came back heavier than before at 145.75 pounds.

As per the promotion’s standards, fighters still have a few more hours to make weight after the official weigh-ins. Unfortunately, John Lineker ultimately could not make the limit despite this.

In an official statement, ONE Championship announced the consequences of this incident and what it means for the scheduled world title bout. The promotion said:

“John Lineker missed weight for his ONE Bantamweight World Title defense against Fabricio Andrade. As a result, Lineker has been stripped of the belt. The bout will proceed at catchweight. Only Andrade will be eligible to win the World Title at ONE on Prime Video 3. If Lineker wins, the World Title will remain vacant.”

While the match will continue, it essentially means that Lineker has lost the world title before even having the chance to defend it once. It’s certainly a golden opportunity for Fabricio Andrade not only to win the gold but also to rub salt in the wound of his compatriot by becoming the new ONE bantamweight world champion.

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John Lineker’s manager issues a statement in response to the incident

While Lineker said he feels he is in the best shape of his life right now, he will fail to make weight for the first time in his ONE Championship career. ‘Hands of Stone’ famously faced similar issues in other promotions in the past, but after four dominant performances in the circle, it looked like he had put those days behind him.

With the unfortunate turn of events, the 32-year-old and his team addressed the incident and are now shifting their focus on getting a win at ONE on Prime Video 3:

“When a fighter doesn’t make weight at ONE, he goes back to square zero because he has to make weight and pass the hydration test,” Lineker’s manager Alex Davis told MMA Fighting.

“That mistake happened because his scale was off in his room, lighter than the official one. When that happens, you have a second attempt to make weight but you have to pass the hydration test again. He couldn’t do it.”

Davis stated that having two attempts to make weight in three hours is "a bit complicated." That said, John Lineker's team respects the rules of the promotion and is focused on winning the bout.