John Lineker Seeks Trilogy With Fabricio Andrade After Win At ONE Fight Night 13

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Former ONE Bantamweight World Champion John Lineker returned the win column this past Saturday, 5 August. In doing so, the Brazilian star welcomed former top-five featherweight Kim Jae Woong to the bantamweight division - and the bout certainly lived up to the billing.

The pair went back-and-forth at ONE Fight Night 13 in Bangkok, Thailand's Lumpinee Boxing Stadium. Fireworks were expected, and the pair didn't disappoint. But it was Lineker who walked out with the TKO in hand with only four seconds left in the bout.

"Hands of Stone" had to throw everything including the kitchen sink at Kim to make sure he left victorious, and the late stoppage win was proof of that.

Reflecting on the win, Lineker was happy with his performance. "It's very good. It was very gratifying when I came out with the victory. I'm very happy with this win," he said.

"I tried to knock (him) out until the end. My coaches told me I [had] to keep on going. I always go for the knockout. I don't like to leave the fight in the hands of the judges. My corner was telling me, 'Believe, believe, believe,' and the knockout came."

The TKO stoppage marked Lineker's first victory since back-to-back outings with ONE Bantamweight World Champion Fabricio "Wonder Boy" Andrade. Their first meeting ended in an anticlimactic no contest. And the second saw Andrade leave as World Champion after a fourth-round stoppage.

Having gotten back in the win column, Lineker wants to complete the trilogy with Andrade in the world's largest martial arts organization. Lineker doesn't feel he's shown what he's capable of against his compatriot. But if the #1-ranked contender gets his wish, he'll take extra steps to complete the mission.

"I've got to get here earlier. It's very difficult to fight coming from Brazil in a short time and fighting people that live here," Lineker said. "I think that if I fight [Andrade] again, I'll show him what I'm capable of. I'm going to come earlier so I can fight on an even table with him."