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.” “It’s not in my control,” he added. “I wish I could [do] something.” Having flown all the way from his home in British Columbia, Canada to Singapore for this fight with Lineker, Fernandes was initially hopeful that ONE would be able to find him a short-notice replacement opponent. Unfortunately, that was not possible. “I asked,” he said. “[They said] it’s too close. “I said give me anything. Give me grappling match, give me Muay Thai match, give me anything. I’m here, I made weight, but I cannot do nothing.” The Post understands, however, that the Asian martial arts promotion will look to rebook the fight for its ONE: Full Circle card on February 25. But rather than stay in Singapore in the hopes of finding a fight on an upcoming card, Fernandes said he now plans to return to Canada to reunite with his family. “I cannot stay [in Singapore],” he said. “I have kids, family. I’ll come back later. I’ll wait for ONE Championship, see what they say.” At this point, Fernandes cannot say who he’ll end up fighting next. He admits he is tempted to move past the Lineker fight for the time being, but is adamant that he’ll be ready no matter who is standing across the ONE Circle. ONE Championship teases new US broadcast deal ‘10 times better’ “[Expletive], I don’t know [who’s next],” he said. “The truth is I don’t know what ONE Championship wants. For me I think it’s better to move forward. Two times I was supposed to fight this guy. “I don’t know, maybe I have to wait for that guy. If ONE Championship wants to give me him again, I’ll be ready for him.” With the cancellation of its originally planned main event, Friday’s ONE: Bad Blood card will most likely now be headlined by an interim heavyweight title fight between Anatoly Malykhin and Kirill Grishenko. Additional reporting by Nicolas Atkin