What's at stake for John Lineker at ONE Fight Night 7?

ONE Fight Night 7 will serve as a turning point in John Lineker’s storied career.

The former bantamweight world champion will enter his rematch with Fabricio Andrade with a massive chip on his shoulder. The bout is set for February 24 inside Lumpinee Stadium in Bangkok, Thailand.

The entire card will air free of charge for Amazon Prime Video subscribers in the United States and Canada.

Lineker and Andrade have already developed a fiery rivalry in just a brief amount of time. The pair of Brazilian destroyers beat each other senseless in an epic back-and-forth at ONE on Prime Video 3 last year.

‘Hands of Stone’, however, got the short end of the stick. Lineker lost his world title before even stepping foot in the circle after missing his obligations on the scales. The end result of that match added more salt to his gaping wound, as the 32-year-old was unintentionally hit in the nether regions by ‘Wonder Boy’.

The sheer impact of that devastating blow even shattered his groin cup. He was unable to continue and the match was ruled an unfortunate no contest.

Since then, John Lineker has heard every insult from the book coming from Andrade and, quite frankly, most of the public. The Brazilian KO artist, for one, has always been a man of few words and would rather speak with his fists.

With that in mind, let’s take a closer look at what’s at stake for John Lineker at ONE Fight Night 7.

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#3. Pride

John Lineker refuses to engage in a verbal war with Andrade, but it’s evident he still has no love lost for his brash rival.

As expected, ‘Wonder Boy’ unleashed a torrent of obscenities in the aftermath of their first match. He even questioned Lineker’s character, claiming he simply quit mid-fight and used the low blow as his way out.

Being labeled a “quitter,” of course, might just be the worst thing for a professional athlete, especially for a prized fighter. As much as Lineker would love to turn the other cheek, Andrade crossed the line with that accusation.

It’s time for the Tiger Muay Thai fighter to pay the piper, and Lineker has the perfect tools tucked in his hands to collect that debt.

Obviously, the main goal for Lineker is to reclaim the vacant bantamweight throne. But make no mistake about it, this grudge match is all about restoring his pride.

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#2. Reputation as a durable fighter

To be fair, Fabricio Andrade stuck to his brilliant game plan and was indeed getting the better of John Lineker in their first fight. The 25-year-old survived the former world champion’s signature hooks and avoided getting finished in round two.

‘Wonder Boy’ even hurt ‘Hands of Stone’ with a knee to the body prior to that fight-ending foul. But Lineker has never been knocked out in 45 career fights. That iron chin of his is the stuff legends are made of.

Then again, Andrade was extremely close to ending that streak. He will enter this rematch with the utmost confidence knowing he almost put away one of the most durable fighters in MMA history.

Lineker, on the other hand, will do everything in his power to win this match and avoid the same mistakes that almost cost him in their first encounter.

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#1. John Lineker's legacy as a ONE world champion

John Lineker finally struck gold early last year when he mercilessly knocked out his compatriot Bibiano Fernandes to become the new king of the bantamweights.

‘Hands of Stone’ would love nothing more than to hit Andrade with the same feverish intensity and put him out of his misery.

But first, he must get that monkey off his back and actually make the 145-pound limit this time around.

Despite Lineker’s impressive career resume, he has always been hounded by weight issues. His past eventually caught up to him in ONE Championship, and his supposed world title reign ended before it even began.

After that embarrassing ordeal, Lineker understands he is fortunate to get an immediate opportunity to reclaim that belt.

‘Hands of Stone’ still has a chance to salvage his legacy with an emphatic victory against an opponent of Andrade’s caliber.