John Lineker: A Fire Rekindled

Speed bumps are commonplace in mixed martial arts—a reality John Lineker knows all too well.

The former One Championship bantamweight titleholder will return to action for the first time in more than five months when he meets Jae Woong Kim in a featured ONE on Prime Video 13 attraction this Friday at Lumpinee Boxing Stadium in Bangkok, Thailand. Lineker finds himself on the rebound following two ill-fated encounters with countryman Fabricio Andrade: the first ended in a no contest, while the rematch resulted in a fourth-round technical knockout loss. Virtually nothing went according to plan.

“The strategy was to go for striking and sometimes take the fight to the ground, but it felt a little difficult in the ring, and at the end of the rounds, I ended up getting a little tired,” Lineker said. “That’s when he started to connect with the jabs. I think what bothered me was the fact that I got tired at the end of the rounds and couldn’t catch him at the beginning of the rounds.”

The 33-year-old Brazilian pointed to a failure to properly acclimate as another possible factor in what he considers a subpar effort against Andrade.

“I believe that if I had arrived earlier, if I had anticipated my trip to Bangkok to adapt to the climate, [I would have performed differently],” Lineker said. “This also harmed me a little. I arrived at the last minute, and I believe that my body ended up not adapting.”

Extenuating circumstances aside, the man they call “Hands of Stone” has attempted to put his defeat to Andrade in the rearview mirror. Months spent refining his skills at American Top Team worked wonders for Lineker’s psyche.

“I used this time away to make a good recovery—first in my physique, then in my mind,” he said. “I reflected on how to get back into the game and how to stay focused, so I worked on the psychological part a lot. We have been training and focusing more on what I need to improve. I’ve been trying to perfect myself in everything: boxing, muay thai and jiu-jitsu.”

Lineker must now get past Kim. The onetime Top Fighting Championship titleholder owns notable wins over Seung Woo Choi, Tetsuya Yamada, Martin Nguyen and Kevin Belingon. Kim last appeared at ONE on Prime Video 6, where he dropped a unanimous decision to Shoko Sato on Jan. 13. He has delivered nine of his 13 career victories by knockout or technical knockout, six of them inside one round.

“His game is boxing,” Lineker said. “He plays more in the long distance. He’s very versatile and works well on takedown defense, and he’s also a guy who kicks a lot. I believe we will put on a show because we both like striking more. I believe I’ll be able to fit my punches more, working hard on the punches to the body. I like to work more in the short distance, and I believe that I can hit him more with my striking.”

A win, particularly one decisive in nature, could put Lineker in position for another rematch with Andrade and a shot at reclaiming the undisputed ONE bantamweight crown.

“What excites me the most about this fight, regardless of the opponent, is that I have the opportunity to get back in the game and pursue my goal, which is to fight for the title again,” he said. “I think that what will excite and motivate me, whatever fight I do from now on, is this opportunity to seek the title again. Regardless of the opponent, my goal is to fight for the title.”