![John Lineker earned the unanimous decision win over Stephen Loman in September 2023. [Photo via: ONE Championship]](https://staticg.sportskeeda.com/editor/2025/03/212d2-17412660902148-1920.jpg)
![John Lineker earned the unanimous decision win over Stephen Loman in September 2023. [Photo via: ONE Championship]](data:image/svg+xml;charset=utf-8,%3Csvg%20xmlns='http%3A//www.w3.org/2000/svg'%20xmlns%3Axlink='http%3A//www.w3.org/1999/xlink'%20viewBox='0%200%2010%206.6666666666667'%3E%3Cfilter%20id='b'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20color-interpolation-filters='sRGB'%3E%3CfeGaussianBlur%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20stdDeviation='.5'%3E%3C/feGaussianBlur%3E%3CfeComponentTransfer%3E%3CfeFuncA%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20type='discrete'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20tableValues='1%201'%3E%3C/feFuncA%3E%3C/feComponentTransfer%3E%3C/filter%3E%3Cimage%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20filter='url(%23b)'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,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'%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
Former ONE bantamweight MMA world champion John Lineker had a tremendous run of dominance in one of ONE Championship's most stacked divisions since his promotional debut in October 2019, highlighted by an unforgettable barnburner with Stephen Loman in September 2023.
'Hands of Stone' and Loman engaged in a high-octane showdown throughout all three rounds, showcasing what makes them two of the division's most feared strikers. Lineker's brawler-style of striking ultimately outlasted Loman's highly technical offense via unanimous decision.
Check out the highlights of their fight below, which ONE shared on Instagram:
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His next foray inside the circle was as a short-notice replacement for Sage Northcutt, who was set to fight Shinya Aoki in January 2024. Aoki submitted him three minutes into the bout.
Shockingly, Lineker debuted in Muay Thai in September of that same year and knocked out Asa Ten Pow in round two. He followed this outing with a first-round finish of Alexey Balyko in October before Kulabdam Sor Jor Piek Uthai derailed his momentum this past January.
The 34-year-old will make his kickboxing debut against former ONE bantamweight kickboxing world champion Hiroki Akimoto at ONE 172: Takeru vs. Rodtang on March 23. The Saitama Super Arena in Saitama, Japan will host the event.
ONE 172 will be available live on pay-per-view at watch.onefc.com.
John Lineker laments potentially missing out on fighting for Muay Thai gold
John Lineker regrets losing to Kulabdam as he believes a victory would have propelled him to challenge ONE bantamweight Muay Thai world champion Superlek Kiatmoo9, who also holds the ONE flyweight kickboxing world championship, for the gold.
Speaking to the promotion, he shared:
"I was getting really excited about the Muay Thai fights and was thinking about a possible title shot, but I think with this loss, which I thought was a bit unfair, it ended up affecting my title run."
