John Lineker To Face Alexey Balyko In Muay Thai Return At ONE Fight Night 25

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Former ONE Bantamweight MMA World Champion John Lineker has barely been out of the ring, but he's already preparing to strap up the gloves and return to action this week.

ONE Championship announced last week that the Brazilian ace will return to the bantamweight Muay Thai fold for the second time against Russian star Alexey Balyko at ONE Fight Night 25: Nicolas vs. Eersel II on Saturday, 5 October, inside Bangkok, Thailand's Lumpinee Stadium.

A veteran of almost 50 professional MMA outings, Lineker ventured into "the art of eight limbs" earlier this month at ONE 168 in Denver, Colorado, much to the joy of fight fans the world over.

And just as advertised, "Hands of Stone" delivered a signature display when he clashed with American star Asa Ten Pow inside Ball Arena before securing a second-round knockout to get his Muay Thai tenure off to a flying start.

Having left the renowned Circle with plenty of momentum and a lot less damage, Lineker is wasting no time in getting back to action with his wish being granted just four weeks later.

The 34-year-old will look to take advantage of his recent return to the win column, but as destructive as his punching power can be, he won't have it that easy when he collides with a fellow heavy-handed colleague.

Across four outings in ONE, beginning on the promotion's Friday Fights series, Balyko has made a name for himself as a dangerous competitor to anyone. In that short time, he amassed two stunning knockouts over Suakim Sor Jor Tongprajin and Stefan Korodi most recently at ONE Fight Night 23.

The Russian has never been one to participate in a boring fight, and that pairs well for his upcoming clash. Balyko brings forth a boxing-centric style along with crushing power and relentless pressure as he loves to trade inside the pocket. Fortunately for fans, Lineker does too.

On top of that, both men are coming off recent returns to the win column in the world's largest martial arts organization, meaning it's only more than likely that they are going to put on a barnburner when they meet in Bangkok on 5 October.