IT has been a match playing in the minds of mixed martial arts fans since John “Hands Of Stone” Lineker signed with ONE Championship in July of last year.
Now fans will finally get what they want in the main event of the previously recorded ONE: INSIDE THE MATRIX III when “Hands Of Stone” stands toe-to-toe with former ONE Bantamweight World Champion and current top contender Kevin “The Silencer” Belingon.
The titanic match airs this Friday, 13 November, and like many fans, Belingon cannot wait to step into the Circle with Lineker.
“Ever since John Lineker signed with ONE, all I’ve been hearing and reading from the fans is Belingon vs. Lineker,” Belingon said. “Now it’s finally here and I’m excited for it. Expect fireworks, expect it to be a good one.”
The anticipation for this match comes as no surprise, especially for fans who love to see athletes stand and bang.
Belingon, after all, holds the greatest number of knockout wins in the division with six (10 career total) while Lineker has 14 career knockout wins to his name.
Given both athletes’ styles, Belingon is not expecting this match to last long, nor does he plan to change his strategy against the Brazilian.
“One look and it’s easy to see that we’re both hard-hitters, and that’s the reason why this matchup is so exciting,” Belingon said.
“It will be very interesting given our styles, and I plan to keep it that way,” he added. “At the end of the day, I hope to get my hands raised.”
While they present similar styles and strengths, the Kiangan, Ifugao, native believes he has the edge over Lineker when it comes to mobility, and that’s something he plans to exploit in their clash.
“I believe I’m quicker than him. I think I’m more agile and have better endurance – those are just some of the advantages that I believe I have in this match,” he said.
“I don’t like predicting things because in a fight we can really never tell, but of course, make no mistake about it, I’ll go for the knockout if the opportunity presents itself.”
Catch the previously-recorded ONE: INSIDE THE MATRIX III this Friday, 13 November, on One Sports and One Sports+ or stream it for free by downloading the ONE Super App.
Get more of the latest sports news & updates on SPIN.ph
NOTICE ON UNAUTHORIZED AND UNLAWFUL USE, PUBLICATION, AND/OR DISSEMINATION OF SPIN.PH CONTENT: Please be notified that any unauthorized and unlawful use, publication, and/or dissemination of Spin.ph’s content and/or materials is a direct violation of its legal and exclusive rights to the same, and shall be subject to appropriate legal action/s.
