Fabricio Andrade Looks To Impress US Primetime Audience By Attaining Emphatic Finish

John Lineker is an established mixed martial artist who needs no formal introduction to the passionate American audience as his seven-year tenure in the UFC solidified his stature as one of the most exciting competitors to watch inside the Octagon.

Lineker won 12 of his 16 outings under the UFC banner with six coming by way of knockout and one via submission, and had been a recipient of three Performance of the Night bonuses as well as one Fight of the Night honors.

Throughout his stint in the Las Vegas-based promotion, he shared the stage with the best fighters from both the bantamweight and flyweight divisions such as Yasuhiro Urushitani, Ali Bagautinov, Ian McCall, John Dodson, TJ Dillashaw, Marlon "Chito" Vera and Cory Sandhagen.

Fans in the United States will get to see Lineker in action once again as he is set to headline ONE Championship's third feature presentation on Amazon Prime Video.

The hard-hitting Brazilian is slated to put his bantamweight championship on the line against compatriot Fabricio Andrade in the main event of ONE on Prime Video 3, which takes place at the Axiata Arena in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia on October 22 (October 21 in the United States).

As Lineker gets the chance to reconnect with his American fanbase, his opponent looks to seize the opportunity to steal the spotlight at his expense.

"Lineker already has a name in America. So, when I fight him and knock him out in the first round– which no one has done yet–the American audience will see the difference in my level compared to all these fighters," Andrade said in a recent interview.

"I think that not only the American audience, but the fans in general like to see knockout artists. They like to see athletes who come in to finish the fight," he continued.

"I believe people are already impressed with my performances, but they will be even more impressed to see me finish a guy like Lineker, who has never been knocked out in MMA."

Andrade, who holds an 8-2 professional record, has not tasted defeat since 2017 and has gone to ace seven consecutive matches—with five of them happening in ONE Championship.

The 25-year-old native of Fortaleza, Brazil bolstered his catalog of highlight-real finishes by stopping the likes of Li Kai Wen, Jeremy Pacatiw and Kwon Won Il within the first round.

Although both men have struck fear into the hearts of their foes for being lethal knockout artists, Andrade fully believes that he has the more complex striking arsenal heading into the encounter.

"I believe he is an average seven [out of 10]. Most are in this average, a few manage to reach eight, nine, and 10 when we talk about striking. I believe that I've managed to overcome this average, and that's why I believe I'm on another level. Not that Lineker has bad striking, but he's average, and I'm above average," he stated.

"The biggest difference is the variety I bring to a fight. I use my boxing, I kick, I use the elbows, the knee. So, the diversity of weapons I bring to the fight will be the biggest difference between my striking and his."

With an unwavering faith in his own skill set, Andrade is confident that this marquee matchup with "Hands Of Stone" won't go the distance.

"The fight ends in the first round by knockout. No matter what, it will end in the first round. Like I said, I have a lot of weapons to use in this fight, so I'll be ready to end the fight at any time," Andrade declared.

"I'm going to get in the cage, do my job, and stop him in the first round to take what's mine."