“They're in for a tough fight” - John Lineker says former champ Hiroki Akimoto will experience pressure he’s never felt before

John Lineker is confident that he'll once again bring his commanding pressure in his venture into another combat sport.

'Hands of Stone's' intimidating presence has been felt in his years terrorizing the mixed martial arts scene. The Brazilian carried that same terrifying aura in his brief tenure in Muay Thai, where he racked off two hellacious knockouts in quick succession.

Now, Lineker will take his act to kickboxing, where he'll look to make an immediate impact at ONE 172: Takeru vs. Rodtang.

There would be no feeling out process for the 34-year-old veteran since he'll be duking it out with former bantamweight kickboxing world champion Hiroki Akimoto on March 23 at Saitama Super Arena.

Despite the tough challenge on his hands, John Lineker remains unperturbed and promised to make the Japanese tactician play into his gameplan. He told ONE Championship:

"Akimoto is a former champion, a very tough guy, very fast, so it will definitely be a great fight. I'm very excited and I'm well prepared. My opponents know that when they step into the cage with me, they know they're in for a tough fight."

The former ONE bantamweight MMA kingpin continued:

"I'm a guy who fights forward, who doesn't give up and who can take a beating. Akimoto is a very tough guy and he'll be another big test in my career."

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John Lineker excited to test himself in kickboxing transition

John Lineker will never back down from a fight, regardless of its stipulations.

Striking does indeed come naturally for the heavy-handed headhunter. While he's considered green in kickboxing, Lineker can always rely on the weapons of mass destruction tucked away in his fists.

Plus, getting a chance to square off with a fellow former world champion like Akimoto is always a pleasure for 'Hands of Stone'.

"It wasn't really in my plans to do a kickboxing fight. But I'm a fighter, and I'm ready for any fight. Like I said, I like to test myself. So it will definitely be a great test once again," he told ONE.

Fans in North America can watch ONE 172: Takeru vs Rodtang by heading over to the pay-per-view stream via watch.onefc.com.