John Lineker says he only wrestled with Fabricio Andrade to pose the threat of a takedown

John Lineker was looking to mix the martial arts in his match against Fabricio Andrade when they fought for the bantamweight throne at ONE Fight Night 7 on Prime Video.

It was an unforgettable back-and-forth war between 'Hands of Stone' and 'Wonder Boy' in the evening's main event. Each man landed bombs on the other. Ultimately, Andrade won the ONE bantamweight world title by way of a TKO corner stoppage.

During the match, 'Hands of Stone' was aiming for a signature knockout. But along the way, he would mix in takedowns just to threaten Andrade's grappling skills. It was a wise game plan, as one's opponent will never know what's coming next.

In an interview with ONE Championship, Brazil's John Lineker explained:

"I went for the striking, I went for the knockout, like I do in all my fights. The strategy of putting him down was just to make him more concerned with takedowns than with standing strikes. But he defended very well, he also has a very strong grappling, with good takedown defenses."

A mixer of high and low attempts, takedowns, and striking, John Lineker is an expert in mixed martial arts. His heavy hands battered Fabricio Andrade during their match, but it still was not enough to stop the 25-year-old Brazilian.

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John Lineker respects Fabricio Andrade

After trading heavy blows back-and-forth in an all-out war for the ONE bantamweight world title, 'Hands of Stone' is confident in complimenting Fabricio Andrade's toughness.

In an interview with ONE Championship after the fight, Lineker said that he landed strikes that had dropped other fighters, but Andrade survived. Lineker explained:

"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."

Fabricio Andrade was able to capture the ONE bantamweight world championship by way of TKO after a grueling and impressive battle. 'Hands of Stone' is a highly-ranked bantamweight with dangerous power in his hands. Lineker remains a fan favorite, and viewers and looking forward to seeing him again soon in the ONE circle.