John Lineker reveals the highlight of his year with ONE Championship in 2022

Whilst John Lineker’s 2022 may have ended in disappointing fashion, it can’t be forgotten how his first six months of the year went.

Since signing with ONE Championship, Lineker has collected three impressive wins and was lined up to fight against Bibiano Fernandes to start the year. Unfortunately, uncontrollable circumstances derailed their initial meeting at the last minute.

In March, he finally got his much-coveted shot at gold at ONE: Lights Out against the long-reigning and dominant world champion, Bibiano Fernandes. Their epic battle ended with a devastating highlight reel KO, as he took ‘The Flash’ to dreamland in the second round.

In an interview with ONE Championship, John Lineker reflected on his huge moment from earlier in the year:

“Without a doubt, what marked me this year was when I defeated Bibiano Fernandes. I had forgotten that the fight was for the title. I was so focused on the fight that I forgot it was for the belt. When they announced my victory, I kneeled down to say thank you. I didn't remember that fight was for the belt. And when Chatri put the belt on my shoulder, I was startled by the weight. I turned around and [said], ‘Look, the belt!’ That's when I realized I was the champion and celebrated.”

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“The limit is only an illusion” - John Lineker motivated for redemption ahead of Fabricio Andrade rematch

Former ONE bantamweight world champion John Lineker believes that there are no restrictions on his potential. ‘Hands of Stone’ has already achieved a lot in his career but still feels like he has a lot more to prove.

The Brazilian knockout artist wrote this caption on a recent Instagram post:

"The limit is only an illusion for those who are afraid to fight 👊🏼 🪨"

Through his 44 professional fights, Lineker has competed against some of the best fighters in the world and has remained at the top of the sport for a very long time. Making his professional debut nearly 15 years ago, John Lineker and his incredibly heavy hands have become part of the furniture if you’re an MMA fan.

In 2022, he finally achieved his dream of becoming a world champion when he produced another ferocious knockout. He achieved his goal by flattening the record-setting world champion Bibiano Fernandes, who had sat atop the bantamweight division for a long time.

At ONE on Prime Video 3, Lineker was stripped of his belt after missing weight. However, when the fight ended in a no contest due to an unintentional foul, the belt was left vacant.

In his first fight of the new year, John Lineker will once again face Fabricio Andrade with the vacant world title on the line. Lineker returns to action at ONE on Prime Video 7 on February 10.