“You don't win by talking” - John Lineker wants to send a message to Fabricio Andrade in the circle

A man of very few words, reigning ONE bantamweight world champion John Lineker is tired of all the talk coming from his upcoming opponent Fabricio ‘Wonder Boy’ Andrade.

The brash 25-year-old has repeatedly goaded Lineker since he began calling out the Brazilian veteran a couple of years ago. Meanwhile, Lineker has rarely, if on any occasion, returned fire with his words. In fact, ‘Hands of Stone’ always prefers to let his hands do the talking.

In a recent interview with ONE Championship, Lineker said he doesn’t believe the young Andrade’s bold claims and callouts will help him when the circle door closes. The 32-year-old ONE bantamweight world champion said:

“As I said, I don't like to talk, I like to get into the cage and fight. I'm going to show him that you don't win by talking, but inside the cage showing what you're good at.”

John Lineker will lock horns with Fabricio Andrade in the headline bout at ONE on Prime Video 3. The event will be broadcast live via Prime Video from the Axiata Arena in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, on October 21. At stake will be Lineker’s bantamweight gold.

Since leaving the UFC and joining ONE in 2019, Lineker has been on an absolute tear in the Singapore-based promotion, He has won four straight, including three knockouts in his last three outings. Meanwhile, Andrade is on a similar run, with four finishes out of five wins under the ONE banner.

It’s safe to say that whoever wins this fight between two certified knockout finishers has every right to rule the division moving forward.

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John Lineker banking on his equalizing power against Fabricio Andrade

When you have two skilled strikers going against each other, it usually means whoever lands a clean shot first will win. Though Fabricio Andrade may own the advantage in terms of overall skill and technique, John Lineker believes he possesses the ultimate equalizer.

Lineker owns a whopping 17 knockout finishes in 35 victories as a professional. This is proof of the otherworldly power in his fists. If he connects on Andrade’s chin cleanly, it’s lights out for 'Wonder Boy'.

In another interview with ONE Championship, John Lineker talked about why he hits so hard and it’s because his work ethic is unparalleled. He said:

“When I do weight training, I work a lot with brute force. I finish my camps lifting 150kg [330 pounds] in the bench press, 200kg [440 pounds] in the deadlift, I lift a lot of weight in the biceps curl… I do a very intense period of strength work and I think that's the differential to hit harder than the other bantamweights.”