The main event of ONE’s seventh showing on Amazon Prime Video was a rematch. John Lineker vs Fabrício Andrade II for the vacant bantamweight (145-lbs) championship, after their original meeting had ended prematurely due to a low blow.
In October of 2022 the pair faced off after the hard-hitting Lineker lost his belt on the scales before the fight. Fabrício Andrade largely dominated the exchanges with his Muay Thai until an accidental groin strike rendered former UFC fighter Lineker unable to continue, and the fight was unfortunately declared a no contest. As the rematch loomed, ‘Wonderboy’ de Andrade looked to repeat his near-masterpiece from the first fight while Lineker wanted to get back what he once had.
Lineker came out pressuring forward with his usual big punches, starting to attack the body. Andrade prepared to counterstrike but Lineker shot a takedown. Although Andrade got up, Lineker got the rear body lock and used that to suplex Andrade. Yet again, Andrade popped up. Lineker let go and threw a monstrous combination that hurt Andrade. Andrade was not done though, he escaped, came back, and hurt Lineker. Andrade got into open space and was able to be more effective then, but whenever Lineker was able to corner him against the ropes of the ring in Lumpinee he was able to land strikes or a takedown.
Every time Lineker got a takedown Andrade popped right up, but Lineker did damage on the way up every time as well. When the fight slowed down, after Lineker’s initial barrage, Andrade began to pick him apart from space after the halfway point of the round. His straight punches and leg kicks could not miss. He also stepped in for body knees that always connected. Lineker was not out at all, he still landed some leg kicks and some hooks in flurries, but overall far fewer strikes than Andrade in the latter half of the round, after starting extremely strongly. Andrade really wobbled his foe in the final fifteen seconds of the round, Lineker was almost out of it but managed to clinch up with five seconds left in the round so he could be saved by the bell.
Round two began with the same goal from Lineker as round one and it worked at first, as he made Andrade sag against the ropes in the first twenty seconds. However, Andrade was able to get back to space and the frantic flurry from Lineker ceased. Andrade worked to pick him apart from outside again while Lineker shot two takedowns, which Andrade defended well, though Lineker again landed big shots while Andrade worked to escape. He did so two minutes into the round, and the rest was at range. Lineker was more competitive from there in the rest of round two than he was in round one, but Andrade still got the better of him slightly it seemed as he jabbed Lineker up for most of the rest of the round.
The third round came with a now only-semi aggressive Lineker at first, but he did land some powerful body hooks, which were consistently his best punches in the fight. Andrade worked to evade and find space as he waited to outlast the storm. Around eighty seconds into the round Lineker stopped his strong forward pressure and Andrade got to work his game then, except when defending a takedown. Fabricio seemed to lack urgency somewhat. Though he controlled the range expertly and jabbed Lineker up a lot, Lineker was able to explode with punches sometimes and do arguably more damage.
In the last minute of the round the fighters opened up and Lineker landed hooks to the head and body both. Andrade threw some leg kicks and a good knee or two that hurt Lineker, but he mainly boxed with him. In the waning seconds John Lineker shot a takedown which allowed Andrade to sprawl out, push Lineker onto his back, and get on top for the closing seconds.
The championship rounds began without a rush forward from the hard-hitting Lineker. He still got hit with some big shots though, with a more methodical approach to pressure helping Lineker. Andrade was able to reverse that and get distance again after about a minute. Andrade poked and propped at Lineker but always to the head, never to the body, which gave him so much success in the first fight. Lineker ate a knee in the clinch which caused Herb Dean to stop the fight for a low blow, but Lineker was fine due to his steel cup and a glancing blow at most.
Andrade defended a takedown when the fight restarted, halfway through the round. He had gone southpaw earlier in the round and continued to do so, presenting a different look to Lineker. He defended another takedown perfectly and used the open stance matchup to keep touching up John. Then Andrade got back to the body work with knees and teep kicks. His straight left then started to land and hurt Lineker each time. As the last minute started Lineker was wobbly. Andrade did not let up on him, continually landing, cutting open, and stunning Lineker. The Thai boxer stalked his foe to the end of the round, stinging again and again, but the former champion survived.
The final round was about to start when suddenly Herb Dean called the fight off, stunning everyone. The commentary revealed that one of Lineker’s cornermen stopped the fight, seeing his fighter too beat up to continue, though his injuries were of course unknown at the time. His right eye was almost entirely closed, which likely contributed. Andrade celebrated with jubilation and was congratulated by Lineker, like a true sportsman. After a two fight series, with both fights being brawls, Fabrício Andrade was finally crowned the ONE bantamweight champion.
Official Result: Fabricio Andrade def. John Lineker by TKO (corner stoppage), Round 4, 5:00
