By:  | October 10, 2022 1:52 pm

John Lineker has fired back at Fabricio Andrade. The reigning ONE Championship bantamweight king has had to listen and read about his upcoming opponent’s comments for several months.

The two will finally face off at ONE on Prime Video 3 and Lineker warns his opponent that the time for talking will be well and truly over,

“I’m going to show him that you don’t win by talking, but by showing what you’re good at inside the circle.”

Decades of experience 

Lineker has decades of experience and this won’t be the first time an opponent has tried to get under his skin. If Andrade was hoping to provoke the UFC veteran it doesn’t sound like he has succeeded,

“None of that bothers me. I take it all in my stride. I think talking is nonsense, we have to resolve it inside the circle,” Lineker said.

But while Lineker doesn’t have much time for his opponent’s trash talk the champion has plenty of respect for Andrade’s skills,

“(His) Muay Thai is excellent, he’s a great fighter, but I have boxing that scares opponents, especially because of my hands. So, which one is better, I don’t know. I don’t like to keep comparing, but I believe in my potential. I know I’m good at what I do.”

Body of work

Lineker’s body of work speaks for itself and he stopped Bibiano Fernandes to win the belt. But the 32 year old says that at this stage of his career he is more focussed on performances than titles,

“Of course the belt is important, it was a very important achievement in my career, but my goal is always to get in there, have a fun fight, and put on a great show.”

Lineker already has a reputation for being one of the hardest hitting fighters in the division. But he says winning the belt has only strengthened his resolve to  put on entertaining fights,

“I won’t hold back because now I’m the champion. I’m going to get in the circle and I’m going to do what I know how to do best, which is to put on a show and go forward all the time.”

Ready for anything 

While Lineker appears to be taking Andrade’s trash talk in his stride he warns the younger man that he might live to regret the provocation,

“In fact, any opponent who talks nonsense about me only motivates me. I’m more motivated to get into the circle and do my best. So, opponents who do this kind of trash talk end up regretting it later, because instead of irritating me, they are motivating me even more.”

The fight is scheduled for five rounds. But Lineker is adamant that three rounds will be all he needs to shut Andrade up once and for all,

“I’m prepared for anything, both striking and on the ground. I see myself finishing him off in the third round.”