Asa “The American Ninja” Ten Pow is going to clash against John “Hands of Stone” Lineker at ONE 168 in Denver on Sept 6th. Both the fighters know that it is going to be a huge opportunity for them. Ten Pow is facing the hard-hitting fighter in a bantamweight Muay Thai fight and is ready to make the best out of this high-profile match. Lineker on the other hand, is stepping into the realm of Muay Thai but seems to be calm about exploring unchartered territory.

The stacked fight card already gives “The American Ninja,” a lot of audience attention, and now with a powerful opponent, he knows that this is his big chance to a dominant victory. Lineker already made a huge name in the MMA world and Ten Pow is a stand-up specialist in Muay Thai. However, the latter knows that he has to be vigilant in the face of his opponent’s finishing prowess.

Predicting the fight outcome, Ten Pow said, “I have to be very sharp. I have to be disciplined in my pursuit of him. He’s someone who can catch you at any moment. As we’ve seen, he’s been able to knock people out in the last second, and he’s been able to weather some tough battles. I don’t expect his Muay Thai to translate well with me. I expect to have my way as long as I’m not doing what he does best, which is throwing those hooks with no regard for anybody. I think I’ll nullify a lot of what he’s going to be doing anyway so he might not be able to showcase everything that he wants to do.”

Ten Pow is heading into the fight with a two-fight KO streak and has the desire to make it three by defeating Lineker. “The American Ninja,” expects this fight to be a huge battle but is ready to give his best.

John Lineker’s achievements make him a formidable opponent for Ten Pow

Lineker is the #1-ranked MMA bantamweight and a former divisional king. Known for his incredible punching power, the 34-year-old earned the nickname “Hands of Stone” as this skill brought him knockout victories in nearly half of his professional career. He made his MMA debut in 2008, competing in multiple promotions in his home country of Brazil, and eventually won the Jungle Fight Bantamweight Championship. 

Later, he moved to North America where he competed with notable fighters like John Dodson, Michael McDonald, and Ian McCall. In 2019, Lineker came on to challenge the best martial artists on the global stage of the ONE Championship. He is set to step into a different kind of challenge when he faces Asa Ten Pow. 

“The American Ninja” is a knockout artist who began his martial arts at the age of five and never looked back. He slowly found his niche and selected Muay Thai and the full contact technique was right up his alley. The 34-year-old put on strong performances in Glory Kickboxing and Lion Fight before finding his way to ONE Championship in 2022.

Riding the momentum of back-to-back, the American striker will clearly be a tough challenge for the hard-hitting Lineker. Both have unique strengths that will be challenged during this upcoming fight.

Lineker vs Ten Pow, and the challenges of the fight

The Ball Arena in Denver, Colorado will be in for a treat as two stars who made a name for themselves in American soil are out to prove themselves in this exciting contest.

Asa Ten Pow is an accomplished martial artist from the US, winning titles in kickboxing, boxing, and Muay Thai in America before joining the planet’s most elite collection of stikers in 2022. While he failed to win his promotional debut against the veteran Mehdi Zatout at ONE on Prime Video 3 back in 2022, he has come back to knock out his last two opponents. 

However, he will be matching up against one of the most dangerous knockout artists in all of MMA when he takes on Lineker.

Not a lot of men have stood against “Hands of Stone” and walked out unpunished by the Brazilian’s fists. Win or lose, the OCS Jiu-Jitsu representative has always made his opponent feel his power. However, he will be stepping into his first Muay Thai bout, which could be daunting for an MMA fighter such as himself. While he does prefer to stay on his feet when competing in the all-encompassing sport, the danger of the takedown has given him openings for a finishing blow in the past. 

It will be interesting to see how Lineker fares in an all-striking bout against a decorated specialist like Ten Pow. Of course, “The American Ninja” will also be tested as his opponent will surely bring an unorthodox style paired with massive power that he may not have experienced before. 

We’ll get to witness what happens when they meet at ONE 168: Denver this Friday, Sept 6 on North American primetime. So, are you excited to see the match? Tell us in the comments below.