John Lineker open to testing his skills in Muay Thai, kickboxing, and submission grappling

Former ONE bantamweight world champion John Lineker is currently 100% focused on winning back his title when he faces Fabricio Andrade in a rematch on February 24.

But despite the task at hand, Lineker has also suggested that he could look to take himself out of his comfort zone in the near future.

Lineker has accomplished a lot in his MMA career. By being a part of ONE Championship, the opportunity is always there for him to try his hand at something different.

Many fighters on ONE’s roster have broken that barrier down and easily shifted between rulesets in order to challenge themselves in completely new ways.

Speaking exclusively to Sportskeeda MMA, John Lineker alluded to the idea that once his rivalry with Andrade is in the rear-view mirror, he could look to freshen things up a little:

“I already thought about doing some Muay Thai and grappling fights, but now I prefer to focus on this belt fight. But it is something that interests me for the future. Leave MMA aside for a bit and venture into Muay Thai, kickboxing, and grappling. These are future plans.”

First, John Lineker must face his fellow Brazilian Fabricio Andrade at ONE Fight Night 7 on Prime Video. The vacant bantamweight world championship will be on the line in the main event on February 24, which airs live and for free via Prime Video for North American viewers.

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"They cheered a lot for me" - John Lineker says he was "very popular" with American fans

If John Lineker is successful in reclaiming his bantamweight world championship on February 24, there is one future destination that he has in mind.

After facing Fabricio Andrade at ONE Fight Night 7 on February 24, Lineker has got his eyes on ONE Championship’s US debut event. ONE Fight Night 10 on May 5 will go down live from the 1stBank Center in Colorado on what will be a historic night for the promotion.

Alongside the likes of Demetrious Johnson and Sage Northcutt, who have already been announced for the event, John Lineker has a history of competing in the United States.

Spending seven years competing in the UFC, Lineker made his name overseas and established himself as one of the most exciting and dangerous fighters on the planet.

Speaking exclusively to Sportskeeda MMA, he said:

“In the US, I was very popular with American fans because of my fighting style. Having the chance to fight again in the USA will be a great joy. I was always very well-received, and they cheered a lot for me. Having that chance again will be a great joy.”

From the very first time that he stepped inside the circle as one of the most high-profile signings on ONE Championship’s roster, Lineker lived up to his reputation by delivering great fights and devastating knockouts.