MMA News: Bibiano Fernandes Eyes Decisive Win Over John Lineker In Title Defense

Bibiano Fernandes--the reigning ONE bantamweight champion--may have some respect for John Lineker, but it does not mean that he will be taking his challenger lightly.

Fernandes spoke highly of Lineker’s skills in both the striking and grappling departments, stating more about his compatriot’s strengths rather than his weaknesses as it will reveal too much of his game plan.

However, the 41-year-old from Manaus, Brazil is prepared to exchange strikes with Lineker if it comes down to it.

“I trained a lot for this fight, brought some tough sparring partners to my camp to sharpen my striking, and I’m ready for wherever the fight unfolds. I’m definitely going to have to do some striking with him (Lineker) because that’s his style. I won’t be intimidated by his hands, though. Let’s go to war,” Fernandes proudly declared.

The pair were originally scheduled to fight at ONE X back in December, but the event was postponed due to a spike in COVID-19 cases in Singapore.

In the lead-up to the event, the champion and his defiant challenger had a war of words in front of media members during a virtual press conference.

Lineker recently revealed that his issues with Fernandes were non-existent until he declared his intentions of becoming a champion, to which “The Flash” allegedly responded to his social media post and called him unprofessional.

Known by the moniker “Hands of Stone” for his dreaded knockout power that resulted in 16 wins by finish, Lineker brazenly declared that Fernandes will become his 17th victim.

But the bantamweight king is more than prepared for an all-out striking war with Lineker, proclaiming that the fight will not end up in the hands of the judges.

“I think this fight doesn’t go to five rounds. I believe that we will enter [the fight] cautiously at the beginning, analyzing what each other can offer. But he’s [John Lineker] a strong, explosive guy, who comes forward all the time, and I like that because most of the opponents I faced were always retreating. So, it will be a cool fight for me,” Fernandes professed.

Fernandes and Lineker’s matchup for the ONE bantamweight strap will headline ONE: Bad Blood, while the interim heavyweight title match between Anatoly Malykhin and Kirill Grishenko is set for the co-main event.

ONE: Bad Blood will be streaming live on the ONE Super App and the official ONE Championship YouTube channel at 8:30 PM SGT (7:30 AM ET in the United States) on Friday, February 11.