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Veteran Brazilian martial artist John Lineker seeks to have more matches in his traditional lane of MMA in 2025 and looks to be world champion again. He said this even if he has been having a lot of success competing in Muay Thai of late.
'Hands of Stone' made this known in an interview with ONE Championship, maintaining that notwithstanding his foray in Muay Thai, the multifaceted sport of MMA remains a priority for him.
Lineker said:
"In 2025, I want to have more fights. I want to have great fights and go for the belt, to be champion [in MMA] again."
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John Lineker was the former ONE bantamweight MMA world champion before he was stripped of it for missing weight in his first defense against fellow Brazilian Fabricio Andrade in October 2022. The match still pushed through but ended in a no contest after Lineker was unable to continue after absorbing a low blow midway into the contest.
In their title rematch in February 2023, Lineker failed to reclaim the belt after being TKO'd by Andrade in the fourth round.
The 34-year-old American Top Team standout has spent his last two matches competing in Muay Thai and has done well, winning both times by way of knockout.
John Lineker continues Muay Thai campaign at ONE Fight Night 27
While he has grand plans for MMA in the incoming year, John Lineker continues with his Muay Thai campaign to start 2025.
The Brazilian star will battle Thai Kulabdam Sor Jor Piek Uthai in a bantamweight Muay Thai clash at ONE Fight Night 27: Tang vs. Abdullaev on Jan. 11 at the Lumpinee Stadium in Bangkok, Thailand. It will be his third straight fight in the "art of eight limbs" in the last five months.
Entering ONE Fight Night 27, Lineker has won his last two Muay Thai matches, both by way of knockout. The latest one came in October over Russian Alexey Balyko in the opening round.
His opponent, Kulabdam, meanwhile, had a bounce-back win in his last match, knocking out Suablack Tor Pran49 in their all-Thai clash in September.
ONE Fight Night 27 will be aired live and for free in U.S. primetime to North American fans with an active Amazon Prime Video subscription.
