John Lineker lit up the Muay Thai world in ONE Championship and now he’ll try his hand at kickboxing. At ONE 172: Takeru vs. Rodtang, the Brazilian powerhouse meets Hiroki Akimoto in a bantamweight war. While the match may not have been on his bingo card, Lineker is set to give it a go on Sunday, March 23.
John Lineker Turns to Kickboxing in ONE 172
“It wasn’t really in my plans to do a kickboxing fight, but I’m a fighter, and I’m ready for any fight. Like I said, I like to test myself, so it will definitely be a great test once again. I’m very happy and excited, and we’ll see what happens with this fight. I’m preparing a lot. I’m very focused, and we’ll see if after this fight we can continue to do other kickboxing fights,” John Lineker revealed to ONE.
With a lack of experience in the sport, against a former ONE Bantamweight Kickboxing World Champion, John Lineker will enter as a decided underdog. “Hands of Stone” is prepping for battle by examining the Japanese star’s game. In breaking down the matchup, Lineker detailed the difference in styles fans will see inside Saitama Super Arena.
BANGER ALERT 🚨 Former ONE Bantamweight MMA World Champion John Lineker makes his kickboxing debut against former ONE Bantamweight Kickboxing World Champion Hiroki Akimoto in Japan on March 23 at ONE 172: Takeru vs. Rodtang! Who you got?#ONE172 | Sunday March 23 2025🎟️ Tickets… pic.twitter.com/Z3C0PkrYrO
— ONE Championship (@ONEChampionship) January 31, 2025
John Lineker Updates Gameplan For Akimoto Fight
“We 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. His style is faster. He’s a guy who doesn’t stand still in front of his opponent. He reacts quickly and throws punches. It’s a very different style from mine,” the former bantamweight MMA king said.
After a disappointing result in his last match, the Brazilian is looking for redemption. In John Lineker’s trademark fashion, he plans to bring the heat and finish before the final bell. He has no plans to go the distance on March 23.
“I always fight to knock out my opponents. I’m a guy who doesn’t 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. So, I’m going to look for the knockout all the time, in every round. My prediction for this fight is that I’ll win by knockout,” Lineker mentioned.
John Lineker Finds Motivation After Defeat in January
John Lineker’s first foray into Muay Thai yielded incredible results. So much so that he was beginning to reach title contention. However, after his last loss, “Hands of Stone” felt like he needed to keep pressing forward and seek other opportunities.
Rollercoaster of emotions 🎢Watch the full ONE Fight Night 27 event replay:🇺🇸🇨🇦 on Prime 👉 https://t.co/wQjdyqG3Qm🌍 on https://t.co/eBUfsOmxDL (geo-restrictions may apply) pic.twitter.com/ynZ0TYcRSz
— ONE Championship (@ONEChampionship) January 12, 2025
“I 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. Of course, my focus is MMA, but the fights I was doing were getting me really excited. When we’re winning, we get really excited, right? But let’s see what happens. Now I want to move on and see what the future holds for me,” the Brazilian stated.
The kickboxing showcase is an exciting matchup for all martial arts fans, and it is an exciting opportunity for Lineker. The 34-year-old never backs down from a challenge and wants to be active in any martial art he gets the call to compete in. At ONE 172, his latest challenge arrives and he plans to give it his all.
“I’m a fighter. I’m always ready. I want to fight Muay Thai again. I want to do other kickboxing fights and also these super-fights under special rules. I’m ready to fight, no matter what modality, I’ll accept it. I like challenges. I like to be fighting, and wherever ONE Championship puts me, I’ll be ready,” John Lineker said.
ONE 172 airs live on Sunday, March 23. The event begins at 4 a.m. EST/1 a.m. PST from the Saitama Super Arena in Japan. Stay tuned with MMASucka.com for complete event coverage.
