Hands of Stone’ John Lineker will be competing in his first Muay Thai match at ONE 168 on September 6. Naturally, the hard-hitting Brazilian is expecting a knockout victory.
John Lineker Aiming for Knockout in Muay Thai
Since turning pro in 2008, John Lineker has racked up nearly 50 matches in MMA and nearly half of his wins have come by way of knockout. Whether he was competing in the UFC, Shooto, or ONE Championship, he was feared for the power in his hands. The Brazilian slugger was inspired by Wanderlei Silva and always swings for the fences to put his opponents away.
MMA veteran Bibiano Fernandes set the record for most defenses in ONE history, ‘Hands of Stone’ put him down and took the title for himself with a stunning second-round knockout. After losing the title to Fabrício Andrade, he has taken a few more matches in MMA but now looks for success in Muay Thai.
At ONE 168, Lineker is set to face the US-born Asa Ten Pow. The 34-year-old ‘The American Ninja’ is a striker who has experience in MMA, kickboxing, and Muay Thai. Currently, in ONE he is on an impressive two-fight knockout win streak and is looking to make it a harsh welcome for Lineker into Muay Thai.
Discussing the ONE 168 matchup in Denver, USA, John Lineker said:
“Asa Ten Pow is a striking guy, a specialist in this area, and who is already used to fighting under the rules of Muay Thai. He is a very tough and technical athlete. I had the opportunity to meet him a few times backstage at ONE events, and he is a really nice guy. I am sure we will have an excellent fight.
“I always look for the knockout, and it certainly won’t be any different this time. I’m going to look for the knockout all the time, round by round, and I hope I can do it. I see myself knocking out Asa Ten Pow because that’s what I like and that’s what I do when I step into the cage.”