“I Certainly Noticed Some Gaps in His Game” – John Lineker Feels He Can Take Advantage of Fabricio Andrade’s Weaknesses in World Title Rematch

John “Hands of Stone” Lineker’s ONE Bantamweight World Title matchup against Fabricio “Wonder Boy” Andrade last year might not have ended the way he would have liked.

But the former divisional king has gained useful knowledge from that encounter–and he plans to showcase that wisdom when he runs it back against the top-ranked contender in the main event of ONE Fight Night 7: Lineker vs. Andrade II on Prime Video this Friday, February 24.

 The 32-year-old aims to exploit some key weaknesses he has identified in his opponents’ game while also being more defensively sound in the upcoming rematch.

John Lineker would look to vent into the cracks in Fabricio Andrade’s game

‘Hands of Stone’ explained, “I noticed some gaps in [Andrade’s] game. I also noticed his strengths, so in some way, it will help, and I certainly won’t take as many hits as I did in the last fight. So, the fact that I’ve already fought him, I believe it can help with some aspects of the fight, like his movement and attacks.”

Furthermore, after watching back videos of their first duel in the headliner bout at ONE on Prime Video 3 last year, Lineker felt that none of Andrade’s shots really rocked him. Although, he ended up with a pretty swollen face after the bout hit a no-contest at 2:44 of the third round.

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The American Top Team athlete said, “I watched my fight against him again. Inside the cage, it’s one thing. Watching it on television, you have another vision. The fact is that I let him land a lot of jabs, which ended up hurting my face a lot.”

 Lineker needs some major changes to stand a better chance against Andrade

“I wasn’t feeling his punches so much. I wasn’t afraid of his punches, so I took those jabs and ended up getting a pretty bruised face.” Anybody who’s watched a Lineker fight knows exactly what to expect from the Brazilian slugger – a stand-and-bang battle in the pocket.

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Though he wasn’t his sparkling best in the first encounter, he definitely possesses the knowledge to navigate through the gap and utilize his hard-hitting fists to go for the kill. However, against a challenger like Andrade, who hits hard and accurately, Lineker will have to incorporate more head movement and shoulder rolls to avoid his rival’s dangerous counters.

Find out if he can successfully do it next Friday, February 24, at ONE Fight Night 7: Lineker vs. Andrade II on Prime Video.