By Leobert Julian A. de la Peña
It was the fight that everyone in ONE Championship wanted to see, the ultimate battle between the two best strikers in the bantamweight division.
However, almost everybody was left in shock after John “Hands of Stone” Lineker pulled an upset against former champion and Team Lakay Philippines superstar Kevin “The Silencer” Belingon in the second round of ONE: Inside the Matrix III main event.
Too quick, too powerful, Lineker proved that he is ready for MMA’s big stage after out-striking Belingon who was the no. 1 ranked bantamweight and is eager to have another shot of redemption against the champion, Bibiano Fernandes.
It was one of the most action-packed striking matches in ONE history after both fighters went at it almost every time and displayed insane hitting prowess.
Belingon’s spinning kick and Lineker’s heavy punches were both on display in the fight but the Brazilian managed to get the upper hand after finding a gap in the Filipino’s defense.
Lineker noticed that every time Belingon would go into his 1-2 combinations, there was a gap in his defense.
Lineker capitalized on this and unleashed an uppercut that caught Belingon off-guard, leaving the latter wobbled and unable to defend himself. Lineker followed with heavy punches that resulted in a second-round technical knockout win.
With the win over the ranked no. 1 bantamweight, Lineker will have the chance to challenge the legendary Fernandes for the championship belt.
