At ONE Fight Night 14, the bantamweight mixed martial arts battle between the top-ranked contender John Lineker and the no. 2-ranked divisional challenger Stephen Loman may not have lived up to the promise of being a high-octane match. But Lineker is satisfied, to a certain extent, with how he performed in the fight.
With a victory by unanimous decision on Friday, September 29, ‘Hands of Stone’ earned his sixth ONE Championship victory and simultaneously put an end to ‘The Sniper’s’ three-fight win run.
It was Lineker’s second victory in as many months, coming just two months after he scored a late knockout victory against Kim Jae Woong at ONE Fight Night 13.
The former ONE bantamweight champion is pleased with how the fight went, despite the fact that he put his number one status at jeopardy by taking such a short break between bouts. However, he was unable to complete the fight with the knockout that he was searching for.
This information was disclosed by Lineker in his most recent interview with ONE Championship, in which he stated:
“I was in a really nice mood. I completed my assignments. Although I did not get the knockout this time, I gave it my all, just as I do in all of my fights. I felt like I gave a good performance.”
This victory should put him in a position where he may challenge Fabricio Andrade, the current ONE bantamweight world champion and his previous adversary, for another opportunity at the world title.
Lineker was unable to make it out of his corner in the fourth round of their rematch in February 2023, which resulted in the ‘Wonder Boy’ taking the title away from Lineker and giving it to him.
After Andrade unintentionally kicked Lineker in the crotch during their fight in October 2022, the referee declared it a no-contest and awarded Lineker his money. As a result of Lineker’s inability to continue, the match was stopped prematurely.
Because Andrade is slated to fight ONE bantamweight Muay Thai world champion Jonathan Haggerty, the American Top Team representative might have to wait a little bit longer. The main event of ONE Fight Night 16, which will take place on November 3, will feature a bout between these two competitors for the unclaimed ONE bantamweight kickboxing world title.
In North America, customers with an Amazon Prime Video subscription can view the replay of ONE Fight Night 14 whenever they want. In the meanwhile, active subscribers in the United States and Canada will be able to watch ONE Fight Night 16 without incurring any additional fees.
