ONE Fight Night 3: John Lineker on fight-ending low blow - ‘The pain was unbearable’

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Kuala Lumpur, October 28: John Lineker has said the fight-ending low blow at the bygone ONE Fight Night 3: Lineker vs. Andrade main event title fight against Fabricio Andrade resulted in unbearable pain.

For Lineker, ONE Fight Night 3 didn't quite go to plan as the Brazilian failed to make weight leading up to the event on October 22 and was stripped of his ONE Bantamweight World Championship.

Not only was he stripped of the title, Lineker was also ruled ineligible to reclaim his title once the Circle door closed at the Axiata Arena in Kuala Lumpur.

To compound matters, an inadvertent low blow from opponent Andrade in round three rendered Lineker unable to continue and the bout was declared a no contest. The ONE Bantamweight World Title now remains vacant.

The fight ending sequence aside, "Hands Of Stone" admits that the events of weigh-in day played on his mind during the contest.

"It sure messed me up", he said. "Not physically, but psychologically. It shook me up a little. I also couldn't impose my game. And when I was managing to find myself in the fight, he had already hurt my eye with a right hand, and that got in my way a lot. But what happened on the scale shook me a lot."

With his right eye almost swollen shut, Lineker appeared hurt by a knee to the body from Andrade. "Wonder Boy" tried to follow up with another knee, which unfortunately landed low.

"The pain was unbearable. I thought it would never stop hurting. In addition to the pain, I couldn't breathe properly. I was quite scared of the pain. My cup broke. It wasn't just the impact. The blow went through the cup. It took all my strength and my momentum," Lineker recalls.

Lineker looked distressed in the moments after the blow, but the American Top Team representative assured fans that he has suffered no long-term damage.

"I already did some tests and, thank God, it was nothing serious. I'm still feeling a little pain. I was even afraid to go to the bathroom afterward. But, according to the doctors' assessment, everything is fine with me," he said.

Lineker's opponent Andrade has been vocal about wanting a rematch to finish what they started on Saturday. While some recovery time is needed, the former champion is on board.

"I believe there will be a second fight. The audience wants to see that fight again. It was a very exciting fight, a war, and the audience likes that style of fighting," he said.

"It was a very busy fight. I want to face him again soon, but first I need to recover. My face is a little crumpled now (laughs). But let's see a date to have this new fight against him."

Although the title has been taken from him, Lineker feels as though he has not lost his belt in the Circle.

"I really want to get this belt back," he said. "I didn't lose the title to an opponent, but to the scales. This belt is actually mine. I remain the champion. I can't wait to fight for the belt again."

Source: Media Release