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John “Hands of Stone” Lineker proved that his concussive power extends beyond the confines of any single sport. uptown aces
The Brazilian slugger knocked out Asa “The American Ninja” Ten Pow in the second round of their bantamweight Muay Thai clash at ONE 168: Denver on Friday, September 6, topping an impressive debut in “the art of eight limbs.”
As a former ONE Bantamweight MMA World Champion, Lineker is known for his striking prowess in the all-encompassing sport, but fans were keen to see how he would fare against a stand-up specialist like “The American Ninja.”
“Hands of Stone” didn’t seem to encounter any issues with the switch and dominated his rival in their clash at Ball Arena in Colorado, USA.
He told onefc.com:
“I think I did very well, especially considering that my specialty is boxing. I managed to do everything I had planned, and I was very happy with the result.
“I had a great performance, I managed to be very aggressive, as I am in all my fights.”
Ten Pow has beaten some elite opponents in Muay Thai and his skills were never in question, but Lineker’s heavy hands prevented “The American Ninja” from finding his rhythm.
“Hands of Stone” bludgeoned his 34-year-old foe with his trademark heavy hooks before getting the finish at 2:50 of the second frame to seal a memorable victory in his favorite fashion:
“We never know if we’re going to win by knockout or on points, but I always go for the knockout. And this fight was no different. I went in looking for the knockout the whole time and I got it once again.
“In all my fights, the fans can always expect a knockout because that’s what I do. I don’t leave the result in the hands of the judges.”
John Lineker’s primary focus remains in MMA, and he wants to work back toward the ONE Bantamweight MMA World Championship.
However, after a standout showing in his Muay Thai debut, he’s eager to take on more challengers in the new sport.
In fact, the heavy-handed Brazilian does not rule out any possibility and is willing to test himself across the spectrum of martial arts in the world’s largest martial arts organization.
He explained:
“My focus is MMA. I don’t plan on switching to Muay Thai [permanently], but I want to do other Muay Thai fights, just to stay active. I can even fight in submission grappling or do some super-fight with special rules!
“In MMA, my focus is to fight for the title again, regardless of who holds the belt. It’s currently with Fabrício Andrade, so my focus is to fight him for the title.”
Lineker has his sights set on one particular opponent if he returns to Muay Thai, and it would be a matchup that would send the global fan base into a frenzy.
As one of the most consistently exciting fighters in MMA, “Hands of Stone” would love to take on his counterpart on that front in the striking art.
He revealed:
“In Muay Thai, a fight against Rodtang [Jitmuangnon] would be interesting, and I think the fans would really enjoy watching it. I think it would be insane!
“A fight against Superlek [Kiatmoo9] or [Jonathan] Haggerty would definitely be crazy! It would be a war, I have no doubt about that. But the Muay Thai fight I have in mind would be against Rodtang. Because of the height and physical structure, this fight would be a great match. It would be a great show for the fans!”
Sourceuptown aces