John Lineker says Fabricio Andrade was able to take blows that "other athletes couldn’t"

'Hands of Stone' John Lineker and 'Wonder Boy' Fabricio Andrade went to war for the bantamweight throne in the main event of ONE Fight Night 7 on Prime Video. The two Brazilian strikers traded heavy punches against one another across four rounds.

John Lineker is feared for the knockout power in his hands. The heavy-handed Brazilian landed some serious bombs on Fabricio Andrade when they battled.

The fight eventually ended via TKO due to a corner stoppage, with Fabricio Andrade being awarded the prestigious ONE bantamweight world title. Lineker was disappointed with the result but offered some serious plaudits for his opponent.

In an interview with ONE Championship, 'Hands of Stone' said:

"Unfortunately I couldn't get the belt back, but I'm proud of myself. I gave my all in this fight. Fabricio is a very tough guy. He took blows that other athletes couldn't take."

Over his many fights and multiple decades of competition, Lineker has said that Andrade was the toughest opponent of his entire career. That's certainly high praise from a well-respected MMA athlete.

The feeling is mutual, according to Fabricio Andrade.

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Fabricio Andrade respects the chin of John Lineker

While Fabricio Andrade was able to take the best shots from Lineker, 'Wonder Boy' was also impressed with 'Hands of Stone' for being able to survive his hardest strikes.

On Instagram, the newly crowned world champion shared a short clip of him landing bombs on Lineker's chin, which 'Hands of Stone' somehow survived. Andrade wrote:

"What a fight! As [Mitch Chilson] said respect earned [John Lineker]✊🏽"

At ONE Fight Night 7, the 25-year-old Brazilian accomplished his lifelong dream of capturing a world title in ONE Championship. It was a challenging test to overcome MMA veteran John Lineker.

'Wonder Boy' shared his enthusiasm on Instagram:

"I dreamed of this moment for a long time. What a happiness to be called a world champion at the age of 25. #longlivetheking"

The newly crowned bantamweight king will likely take some time away to recover but will be back in the ONE circle to defend his throne soon enough, possibly later in 2023.

'The Sniper' Stephen Loman has made the case that he could be the next world title contender in the stacked division.