“I have boxing that scares opponents” - John Lineker says his hands are better than Fabricio Andrade’s

ONE bantamweight world champion John Lineker is the type of fighter who lets his fists do most of the talking.

The soft-spoken Brazilian rarely engages in trash talk and has let his upcoming challenger, Fabricio Andrade, hog the headlines.

However, once the circle door closes on October 21, John Lineker is ready to make the most noise using the weapons of mass destruction he calls hands.

After usurping long-time bantamweight king Bibiano Fernandes this past March, ‘Hands of Stone’ will make his first world title defense in the main event of ONE on Prime Video 3.

The highly anticipated card, which features three world titles on the line, emanates from the Axiata Arena in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, and will air live via Prime Video on US primetime on October 21.

Speaking to ONE Championship ahead of his high-stakes clash against his compatriot, Lineker credited Andrade for the wide array of skills he brings to the table.

However, the 32-year-old KO artist reminded Andrade that his destructive power is still the best in the division – and perhaps even in the entire organization.

“[Andrade’s] Muay Thai is excellent, he’s a great fighter, but I have boxing that scares opponents, especially because of the [power in] my hands. So, which one is better, I don’t know. I don’t like to keep comparing, but I believe in my potential. I know I’m good at what I do.”

The mere mention of Lineker’s name sends shivers down the spine of his past opponents. After all, 17 of his 35 career wins have come by way of devastating knockouts.

John Lineker has been flawless since moving to ONE in 2019, picking up four wins against Muin Gafurov, Kevin Belingon, Troy Worthen, and his world title win against Fernandes in his last outing.

The ever-dangerous Andrade, though, has quite a streak of his own. The Tiger Muay Thai slugger has won his first five bouts inside the circle, including three straight first-round finishes.

Only one of these fighters will maintain their unbeaten streak inside the circle come October 21.

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Fabricio Andrade says John Lineker won’t be able to use his power against him

‘Wonder Boy’ loves to finish his fights quickly, and we have yet to see him deal with adversity in his fights.

That’s by design.

While Andrade knows Lineker has the power to take anyone’s consciousness away, he doesn’t think those bombs will reach his chin.

The 25-year-old has managed to steer away from damage in his MMA career so far, and he plans to do the same against the hard-hitting world champion.

For instance, Andrade cited John Lineker’s performance against Fernandes in his last outing.

While the new world champion ended the fight in the second round, ‘Wonder Boy’ thinks the flat-footed striker won’t be able to keep up with his speed.

He told ONE in an earlier interview:

“I did watch the fight live. I wasn’t surprised by his performance. I think he’s slow. Bibiano’s not known for his strikes; Bibiano is a grappler and everybody knows that. The fact that Bibiano was able to drop him showed me that [Lineker] has a lot of holes in his game, and that gives me a lot more confidence coming into this fight against him. I believe I can finish him in the first round only in striking."