ONE Championship: Bibiano Fernandes looks to ‘move forward’ as Covid-19 rules John Lineker out; promotion trying to rebook title fight for next event
- ‘I hope he has a good, quick recovery,’ ONE bantamweight champ says of Lineker, who has been forced off Friday’s card
- ‘For me I think it’s better to move forward. Two times I was supposed to fight this guy,’ Fernandes adds
Bibiano Fernandes will not be fighting John Lineker this Friday.
The Canada-based Brazilian, who rules over the ONE Championship bantamweight division, was slated to defend his belt against his countryman John Lineker in the main event of this weekend’s Bad Blood card in Singapore.
Unfortunately, Lineker has been forced out of the match-up, having tested positive for Covid-19. The news was first reported by MMA Fighting’s Guilherme Cruz.
It’s the second time the fight has fallen through, after being postponed from December, and Fernandes is understandably frustrated.
“I’m very disappointed,” Fernandes told the Post roughly three hours after he learned of Lineker’s exit from the Bad Blood event.
“I have to be respectful of John Lineker. I hope he has a good, quick recovery. I don’t know. [Expletive]. I’m not happy, to come to this point, and now I can’t fight. That’s no good.”