When it was revealed that No. 2-ranked bantamweight contender Stephen Loman will be fighting No. 1-ranked divisional challenger John Lineker at ONE Fight Night 14 on September 29, a lot of fans were taken aback by the news. John Lineker is currently rated first in his category.
After his overwhelming victory over another former world champion, Bibiano Fernandes, many people assumed that the Filipino slugger had automatically earned his chance at the world title against the current world champion, Fabricio Andrade. Even Andrade is of the opinion that Loman should be his next opponent since he has earned it.
In addition, Lineker recently defeated Kim Jae Woong in a fight that took place earlier this month on August 4 at ONE Fight Night 13, and the victory came after coming back from a deficit. The Brazilian mixed martial arts superstar almost went the distance with his Korean opponent until the ‘Hands of Stone’ struck his iconic right-hand power punch, which ultimately earned him the last-second technical knockout victory.
Lineker was involved in a fight that was intense and high-paced, and during the course of it, he was injured as a result of Kim. The 33-year-old fighter, who had just competed in a hard bout, eventually decided to accept the invitation to battle the star from Team Lakay in a bout that would take place in a short amount of time, less than two months after the conclusion of the last bout.
This came as a shock to ‘The Sniper,’ especially considering the significance of this battle as an all-important world title eliminator matchup. The victor of this matchup is expected to have an unrestricted opportunity to challenge Andrade for the world championship.
In an interview that he gave on The MMA Superfan, Loman discussed his opinions about Lineker’s lack of preparation for their forthcoming fight as follows:
“I must admit, I was taken aback when I heard that [he accepted a speedy turnaround]. As a result of his victory in his return bout, he maintains his position as the leading contender. It took some getting used to, but he finally agreed to do another round with me as his next competitor.
As Loman pursues his first chance at a world championship with the most prestigious martial arts organization in the world, he aims to add Lineker to the list of those he has defeated while competing inside the Circle.
On September 29, Prime Video customers in North America will not be charged for access to ONE Fight Night 14, since this event will be made available to them at no additional cost.
