John Lineker says Fabricio Andrade forced him to change his game plan

John Lineker went into his first meeting with Fabricio Andrade looking for another highlight-reel knockout but found himself in a precarious position.

In an exclusive interview with Sportskeeda MMA, ‘Hands of Stone’ discussed his ONE on Prime Video 3 main event against ‘Wonder Boy’ and the need to adapt quickly after struggling to connect one of his legendary hooks with Andrade’s face.

“I always go into a fight looking for the knockout, but against Andrade, I couldn't find him to land a knockout blow. Plans changed in the middle of the fight, I had to put him down to hold his momentum. I had to adapt in the middle of the fight, but always prepared for anything.”

Unfortunately, an accidental low blow perpetrated by Fabricio Andrade ended things early in their first meeting, but having nearly three-and-a-half rounds of experience fighting one another will undoubtedly play a massive role in their highly anticipated rematch at ONE Fight Night 7 on Prime Video at the iconic Lumpinee Boxing Stadium on February 24.

Also scheduled for ONE Championship’s Bangkok card is a ONE featherweight Muay Thai world title showdown between reigning champion Tawanchai PK.Saenchai and No.2-ranked contender Jamal Yusupov. Submission grappling star Danielle Kelly and former two-division ONE world champion Martin Nguyen will also be in action.

Fans in North America can catch all the action live and for free in U.S. primetime on Amazon Prime Video.

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Fabricio Andrade hit John Lineker so hard he “couldn’t see straight”

Throughout much of the bout, John Lineker struggled to find his range against the lengthier Fabricio Andrade in their October showdown. Continuing to share details about the matchup, ‘Hands of Stone’ revealed that at one point, his vision was compromised thanks to a well-placed strike from Andrade.

"When his blow hit my eye, I couldn't see straight anymore. This bothered me a lot because I couldn't find the target (laughs). My vision was not 100 percent. I couldn't find the distance, but when I started to find it, I ended up taking that knee, which hurt me a lot."

Just as John Lineker appeared to find some success inside the circle, disaster struck in the former of a poorly executed knee that landed low on the former world champion. The blow was so devastating that Lineker could be seen removing his shattered protective gear from his shorts and dry-heaving into a bucket while still in the cage.

One can only hope that John Lineker will have better luck in his upcoming rematch now that he’s had a taste of what it feels like standing toe-to-toe with Andrade.