“My Goal Is to Fight for the Title Again” – John Linker Has His Eyes Fixed on Another Bantamweight Title Shot After a Victory at ONE Fight Night 13

John Lineker wants to reclaim the ONE Bantamweight World Championship, and he starts his quest this Friday.“Hands of Stone” is set to return to action at ONE Fight Night 13: Allazov vs. Grigorian on August 4, where he’ll face South Korean slugger Kim Jae Woong in his first match back since dropping a devastating loss in his World Title rematch with Fabricio Andrade this past February. 

The 33-year-old immediately made an impact upon his arrival in ONE in 2019, collecting three straight victories to set up a meeting with longtime titleholder Bibiano Fernandes.

John Lineker is ready to get back stronger than ever

He achieved his dream of becoming a World Champion by knocking out “The Flash” in the second round of their matchup at ONE: LIGHTS OUT in March 2022, and it looked like there was no one who could stop him. Unfortunately, he was stripped of the prestigious strap before he had a chance to defend it at ONE on Prime Video 3 last October. He failed to make the 145-pound bantamweight limit for his first meeting match with Andrade, leaving the World Title vacant ahead of their main-event tussle.

To make matters worse, he was soundly beaten when he took on his young compatriot before the bout was ruled a no contest due to an illegal shot. The pair met again to contest the crown at ONE Fight Night 7 earlier this year, where “Wonder Boy” put a cap on their rivalry by claiming the coveted World Title via referee stoppage in the fourth round.

READ MORE – “A Massive Opportunity for Me” – Kim Jae Woong Will Target a Fabricio Andrade Like Outcome Against John Lineker at ONE Fight Night 13

Now months removed from that emphatic defeat, Lineker is looking forward to proving to the world that he’s still as dangerous as ever. “What excites me the most about this fight, regardless of the opponent, is that I have the opportunity to get back in the game and pursue my goal, which is to fight for the title again,” he told ONE.

Lineker is eyeing another shot at the ONE Bantamweight gold

“I think that whatever fight I do from now on, what will excite and motivate me is this opportunity to seek the title again. So, regardless of the opponent, my goal is to fight for the title again.”

Kim will certainly not make it easy for him, however. A former highly ranked contender in the featherweight division, “The Fighting God” recently moved up to bantamweight, where he has shown that he still has the speed and power that makes him so deadly. All four of his wins in the promotion thus far have come by knockout, and he will look to finish proceedings in the same fashion against Lineker this Friday.

READ MORE – “We Have Both Changed a Lot” – Marat Grigorian Is Ready for a Grueling Test Against the Evolved Chingiz Allazov at ONE Fight Night 13

ONE Fight Night 13 will be broadcast live and free on Prime Video for fans across North America with an Amazon subscription.