ONE 172: After Success In MMA And Muay Thai, John Lineker Gears Up For ONE Kickboxing Debut

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Former ONE Bantamweight MMA World Champion John Lineker is a man of many talents. After finding success in MMA and Muay Thai, the Brazilian superstar is set to make his kickboxing debut.

"Hands of Stone" will enter the new sport against former ONE Bantamweight Kickboxing World Champion Hiroki Akimoto on Sunday, 23 March, at ONE 172: Takeru vs. Rodtang, with Saitama Super Arena serving as the stage.

Just like with Muay Thai, a kickboxing fight wasn't in his plans. But when the opportunity arose, he grabbed it with open arms. Lineker wants to test his skills in kickboxing and is open to fighting in the sport more often.

"It wasn't really in my plans to do a kickboxing fight, but I'm a fighter, and I'm ready for any fight. Like I said, I like to test myself, so it will definitely be a great test once again," Lineker said.

"I'm very happy and excited, and we'll see what happens with this fight. I'm preparing a lot. I'm very focused, and we'll see if after this fight we can continue to do other kickboxing fights."

The former ONE Bantamweight MMA World Champion is known as one of the hardest punchers in MMA, boasting an astonishing record of 37-10. Last year, he made his Muay Thai debut against Asa Ten Pow. There, Lineker scored a knockout win in the second round.

A month later, Lineker flatlined the dangerous Russian in Alexey Balyko. But he suffered a decision loss against Thai veteran Kulabdam Sor Jor Piek Uthai afterward. Now, the Brazilian power puncher aims to make his mark in kickboxing.

But whether Lineker fights in MMA, Muay Thai, or kickboxing, his aim remains the same - to knock out his opponents. The 34-year-old is planning to do just that for his kickboxing debut.

"I always fight to knock out my opponents. I'm a guy who doesn't like to leave the fight in the hands of the judges, as happened in my last fight against Kulabdam. It was left in the hands of the judges," Lineker said.

"And it ended up being a very bad result, even though I believed I was winning the fight. So, I'm going to look for the knockout all the time, in every round. My prediction for this fight is that I'll win by knockout."