ONE Fight Night 7: Fabricio Andrade promises to finish John Lineker in Bantamweight title rematch

Singapore, January 30: Fabricio Andrade plans to leave no doubt about who the ONE Bantamweight World Champion is on February 26 as he promised to finish off his opponent.

"Wonder Boy" will run it back with John Lineker for the vacant divisional crown in the main event of ONE Fight Night 7, set to go down at the iconic Lumpinee Boxing Stadium in Bangkok, Thailand.

The first meeting between the two Brazilian superstars last October was tumultuous to say the least. Lineker was stripped of the title for missing weight in the leadup to the much-anticipated showdown at ONE FIGHT NIGHT 3.

Then, an accidental low blow from Andrade forced the bout to be called off in the third round and ruled as a no contest.

Andrade had been in control of proceedings until the referee's intervention, and he looked to be closing in when the unfortunate strike connected with Lineker.

ONE Fight Night 7: Lineker Vs. Andrade II – Full Fight Card Announced

The 25-year-old believes that his dominance will play on the mind of his foe while he prepares for the rematch.

"I think the fact that I came very close to ending the fight, that he was badly hurt in the fight, and that I defended all his attempts on the ground makes a difference in the psychological factor. He will enter the fight knowing that I am better than him," Andrade said.

"His [only] chance of winning this fight is if something extraordinary happens. But we know that I'm the best athlete, that this is my moment, and that I'm going to be the champion."

"Wonder Boy" has been on a tear since signing with ONE in 2020. He held a perfect 5-0 record in the Circle prior to his fight with Lineker, with his previous three bouts ending in first-round knockouts, and he plans to add another quick finish to his record when he meets his compatriot next month.

"This fight will end in a maximum of two rounds. And it will definitely end with me knocking out John Lineker one more time," he said.

As to whether or not his opponent will struggle with weight issues in their upcoming World Title tussle, Andrade believes that Lineker has learned his lesson and will successfully hit the mark this time.

Whether the former bantamweight king does or not makes no difference to the top-ranked contender overall, though, as he sees the fight ending only one way.

"He will definitely be more attentive with this weight issue. Nobody likes to be on time and not make weight. No one wants to look unprofessional. So, I believe he will be aware of his weight so that it doesn't happen again," he said.

"But that doesn't interfere with anything. I'm not worried about that. If he doesn't make weight again, we're going to fight anyway, and I'm going to knock him out."

Source: Media Release