ONE Championship: Fabricio Andrade taunts John Lineker, ‘ready to fight tomorrow’ after low blow
- Andrade tells Lineker ‘now you can call me Hands of Stone’ after Saturday’s headliner in Kuala Lumpur ends in a no contest
- CEO Chatri Sityodtong says rematch is next, and Andrade is already ramping up the trash talk, claiming to have turned his rival ‘into a wrestler’
Fabricio Andrade is right back to trash talking John Lineker after their ONE Championship on Prime Video 3 fight ended in disappointment.
The two Brazilians met in the main event of the Saturday morning card inside the Axiata Arena in Kuala Lumpur. “Hands of Stone” Lineker started the week as ONE’s bantamweight MMA champion, but was stripped of his belt after he missed the fight’s 135-pound limit.
The chaos continued into the fight itself as Andrade, who could still win the title in victory, saw a growing lead implode when he inadvertently hit Lineker with a knee to the groin.
The impact shattered the former champion’s protective cup, and left him writhing in pain on the canvas. When he was unable to continue after five minutes, the fight was ruled a no contest, meaning neither man left Kuala Lumpur with the bantamweight title.
If Andrade has his say, they will fight again in pursuit of a more decisive outcome as soon as possible.
“I can fight you tomorrow,” the 25-year-old wrote in one of several posts to his Instagram story on Saturday night, tagging Lineker.
The good news for Andrade is that ONE chairman and CEO Chatri Sityodtong has already confirmed to the Post that the promotion will pursue an immediate rematch between the two Brazilian bantamweights.
“It was an excellent fight with both warriors getting the upper hand at different moments,” he said. “I definitely want to do the rematch as soon as they are healed up.”
Andrade (8-2) had taken control of the match-up by the midpoint of the second round. The 25-year-old title hopeful found great success with his striking, completely closing Lineker’s eye with a procession of torpedo-like jabs, and punishing his body with kicks and hooks.
But Lineker (35-9) did have some success in the fight. The former champion landed a few of his trademark hooks, and even completed a takedown, despite a pre-fight pact with Andrade to avoid grappling.
“I said I was going to turn you into a wrestler and I did,” Andrade wrote. “You didn’t keep your word b****.”
“Now you can call me ‘Hands of Stone,’ b****.”
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He also took a moment to thank his supporters in Kuala Lumpur and further afield.
“Thank you everyone who come to KL to support me and for caring messages. I am very disappointed about how everything played out,” Andrade said.
Andrade earned his crack at the belt with wins in his first five ONE fights, including defeats of Shoko Sato, Li Kai Wen, and Kwon Won-il.
Lineker, who formerly competed in the UFC, won the bantamweight title with a knockout of Bibiano Fernandes in February after winning his first three ONE bouts.
