John Lineker says he often got into fist fights with other kids when he was younger

John Lineker has been proving people wrong his entire life. The former bantamweight world champion is one of the most ferocious competitors on the planet once the cage door closes behind him.

Born in Paranaguá, Brazil, Lineker had no option but to learn how to fight due to the culture of where he was raised. Lineker’s nickname, ‘Hands of Stone’, isn’t just a greek moniker for the former world champion, it’s a warning to his opponents. With 17 knockouts under his belt, he is not a man that you want swinging fists at you.

In a recent interview with ONE Championship, John Lineker spoke about his upbringing and how he would regularly engage in fist fights with other kids, usually provoked by them making a joke out of his height:

“I was not popular. At the time, we did not understand bullying. We simply cursed each other and fought, exchanging punches. But at the time, as I was short, the tall ones always wanted to pat me on the head and called me a dwarf.”

Make no mistake about it, those same people would not be saying the same thing to his face today after witnessing what he is capable of inside the circle.

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Listen to the sound of John Lineker’s knockout punch on Bibiano Fernandes

John Lineker has always been a fighter that lets his fists do the talking for him, and that’s exactly his plan for ONE Fight Night 7.

On February 24, the former champion will face Fabricio Andrade in a rematch for the vacant bantamweight world championship. Whilst Andrade may have put on a great performance the first time around against Lineker, it can’t be forgotten what ‘Hands of Stone’ is capable of.

Unbeaten in ONE Championship, Lineker has a huge amount of high-level experience. As the former titleholder, he has a point to prove against Andrade.

Ahead of his shot at reclaiming the title that he lost on the scales, ONE Championship offered the fans the chance to relieve the devastating knockout shot that saw Lineker be crowned as champion.

On the promotion’s Instagram account, they posted his knockout over Bibiano Fernandes that shook the bantamweight division:

John Lineker didn’t give the best account of himself at ONE on Prime Video 3 in his first fight with Fabricio Andrade. Up until that point, he had been on the warpath in ONE Championship since signing with the promotion in 2019.

With a trademark hook, Lineker dethroned the dominant world champion Bibiano Fernandes and reigned for seven months before losing his world championship on the scales.