Former ONE Bantamweight MMA World Champion will continue his journey into the world of elite striking on March 23 at .
This time, the hard-hitting Brazilian superstar will make his kickboxing debut against former ONE Bantamweight Kickboxing World Champion at the iconic Saitama Super Arena in Japan.
The matchup comes after Lineker바카라s electrifying three-fight run in Muay Thai that saw him knock out world-class strikers and before suffering a narrow and contentious decision loss to decorated Thai veteran .
The 34-year-old will now trade in the 4-ounce gloves of ONE Muay Thai for the larger kickboxing gloves as he aims to make waves in yet another combat sport.
Renowned for his shocking punching power, granite chin, and brawling style, Lineker didn바카라t hesitate in accepting the fight against Akimoto, who is currently the #4-ranked bantamweight kickboxing contender.
He told :
바카라It wasn바카라t really in my plans to do a kickboxing fight, but I바카라m a fighter, and I바카라m ready for any fight. Like I said, I like to test myself, so it will definitely be a great test once again.
바카라I바카라m very happy and excited, and we바카라ll see what happens with this fight. I바카라m preparing a lot. I바카라m very focused, and we바카라ll see if after this fight we can continue to do other kickboxing fights.바카라
From facing some of the planet바카라s best Muay Thai fighters to now meeting a former ONE Kickboxing World Champion, Lineker is being thrown from the frying pan into the fryer against another top opponent.
He knows that Akimoto, with his crafty footwork and speedy movement, represents a tricky challenge.
Still, 바카라Hands of Stone바카라 plans to approach the fight with the same forward-marching, boxing-oriented attack that he바카라s employed throughout his martial arts career:
바카라We have very different styles. My game is more of a boxing game, where I try to shorten the distance and land blows from close range.
바카라His style is faster. He바카라s a guy who doesn바카라t stand still in front of his opponent. He reacts quickly and throws punches. It바카라s a very different style from mine.바카라
Despite his proven success against top-flight Muay Thai fighters, Lineker is still a rookie in the professional striking game.
With that in mind, he admitted that he learned an important lesson in his loss to Kulabdam. Although Lineker scored a knockdown early in that bout, he fatigued in the second and third rounds and ultimately dropped the judges바카라 decision.
He바카라s confident that he won바카라t make the same mistake at ONE 172 and vowed to chase the knockout for every second of the battle:
바카라I always fight to knock out my opponents. I바카라m a guy who doesn바카라t like to leave the fight in the hands of the judges, as happened in my last fight against Kulabdam. It was left in the hands of the judges, and it ended up being a very bad result, even though I believed I was winning the fight.
바카라So, I바카라m going to look for the knockout all the time, in every round. My prediction for this fight is that I바카라ll win by knockout.바카라
Lineker Feels Ready To Fight Under Any Rule Set
As he prepares for his hotly anticipated kickboxing debut at ONE 172, John Lineker is keeping his mind open to whatever the future may hold 바카라 whether that바카라s more Muay Thai fights, another kickboxing bout, or a return to MMA, where he is the bantamweight division바카라s #1-ranked contender.
Had he earned the decision against Kulabdam last time out, he could have staked a claim for a top-five ranked opponent or even a World Title shot, but the loss sent him back to the drawing board.
No matter the sport, the Brazilian is simply thrilled to compete against the best of the best:
바카라I was getting really excited about the Muay Thai fights and was thinking about a possible title shot, but I think with this loss, which I thought was a bit unfair, it ended up affecting my title run.
바카라Of course, my focus is MMA, but the fights I was doing were getting me really excited. When we바카라re winning, we get really excited, right? But let바카라s see what happens. Now I want to move on and see what the future holds for me.바카라
If he defeats Hiroki Akimoto on March 23, Lineker will likely find himself in the bantamweight kickboxing top-five rankings and immediately knocking on the door of a crack at gold.
However, he바카라s not looking that far ahead yet. Always the entertainer and a fighter to his core, 바카라Hands of Stone바카라 feels ready for any opponent in any combat sport:
바카라I바카라m a fighter. I바카라m always ready. I want to fight Muay Thai again. I want to do other kickboxing fights and also these super-fights under special rules. I바카라m ready to fight, no matter what modality, I바카라ll accept it. I like challenges. I like to be fighting, and wherever ONE Championship puts me, I바카라ll be ready.바카라
