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Fabricio Andrade Believes John Lineker ‘Took The Easy Way Out’ At ONE Fight Night 3
ONE Championship star Fabricio Andrade looked to be moments away from becoming the ONE Bantamweight World Champion in his showdown with former divisional king John Lineker on Oct. 22 at ONE Fight Night 3.
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Fabricio Andrade.
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NE Championship star Fabricio Andrade looked to be moments away from becoming the ONE Bantamweight World Champion in his showdown with former divisional king John Lineker on Oct. 22 at ONE Fight Night 3, until a low blow forced the bout to be halted midway through the third round.
“Wonder Boy” controlled much of the action prior to the errant strike inside the Axiata Arena in Kuala Lumpur and he believed “Hands of Stone” used it to avoid succumbing to a KO loss.
“In the third round, I felt like I was going to knock him out. That would be his last round. He was very injured, he could no longer see with one eye. I felt that he was very tired and that the power of his blows was no longer the same. I also saw the desperation in his corner, so I knew he wouldn't make it past that round. When I landed the knee on him, I thought, ‘Now, it's over.’ But it turned out that I got carried away and ended up landing a blow to his groin, which turned out to be his salvation,” Andrade said.
“I think many would do what he did. He wasn't going back to the fight. If he came back, he would’ve been knocked out. He took the easy way out because he knew the fight was lost. In his mind, he knows I'm better than he is, so I can't believe he wants a rematch with me anytime soon. But if it happens, I'm sure I'll knock him out fast.”
The newly awarded #1-ranked bantamweight contender has been on a hot streak in ONE since his debut in 2020. His perfect 5-0 organizational slate earned him a shot at Lineker, who had the divisional crown until he was stripped of it for failing to make weight before the main event tussle on Saturday.
With the fight ending the way it did, “Wonder Boy” rightfully believes there is unfinished business between him and the World Title. A slew of dominant performances proved that he was deserving of a challenge and he was on the verge of claiming it in emphatic fashion.
Read also: Lineker anxious for rematch with Andrade after no-contest at ONE Fight Night 3
Lineker will need to recover, though, so Andrade may have to wait some time to rematch his compatriot. But with the bantamweight throne vacant, the young star makes it clear that he’s willing to fight anyone for it.
“ONE is interested in doing a rematch. I'm also very interested. I would like to face him again. But he came out of the fight very hurt. I don't believe he wants a rematch. But if he wants to, I don't know how long he'll need to recover and do this fight again. And I made it very clear that I want to get back to fighting soon. If he's prepared, it can be against him. If he's not prepared, I want another opponent to fight for the belt. I want to take my belt,” he said.
Up next, don’t miss ONE Fight Night 4: Abbasov vs. Lee on Saturday, Nov. 19 at the Singapore Indoor Stadium. Tickets can be purchased at https://ticketmaster.sg/activity/detail/22_onenovsg.
This article was published in collaboration with ONE Championship.
