ONE bantamweight world champion John Lineker is famous for his 'Hands of Stone' moniker. Perhaps he should also be known for his hands of speed. In a recent video by ONE Championship posted on Instagram, we saw the Brazilian world champion balance a heavy ball in front of him using alternating punches.
Watch the video here:
It's quite a marvelous feat to balance a ball that big and heavy just by continually punching it mid-air. It requires speed, timing, constant rhythm, and of course, power.
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Those skills will definitely come in handy once John Lineker takes on his equally hard-hitting world title contender, Fabricio Andrade, at ONE on Prime Video 3. Power alone will not make a difference in that fight. Both fighters will need all the tools and tricks in their striking toolbox come October 21.
John Lineker and Fabricio Andrade have been on a collision course
On October 21, ONE Championship returns to US Prime Time with ONE on Prime Video 3. One of the highlights of the night will be the much-anticipated clash between the two knockout kings for the ONE bantamweight world title. Hard-hitting ONE bantamweight king John Lineker will finally get to face a man who's been hounding him for months now, 'Wonder Boy' Fabricio Andrade.
Andrade has been throwing barbs at the world champion for months now, eagerly anticipating their inevitable clash. 'Wonder Boy' finally punched in his ticket to fight Lineker by notching a win at ONE 158 earlier this year. His latest victim was South Korean finisher Kwon Won Il, who was stopped in the first round by a devastating body kick.
In an interview with ONE Championship, Andrade spoke about his eventual clash with 'Hands of Stone':
“I knew it was only a matter of time if I keep doing what I’ve been doing - putting guys out in the first round. It was only a matter of time for the opportunity to come, and I’ve been waiting for that.”
Andrade might be right. Once he and Lineker entered the ONE bantamweight ranks, it seemed they were destined to clean up the division and meet each other at the top of the mountain. They've been producing highlight-reel knockouts left and right, and we're excited to see them try to put each other's lights out.