Former UFC fighter John Lineker will fight his first Muay Thai bout on January 12 at Lumpinee Boxing Stadium in Bangkok, Thailand. “Hands of Stone” will be facing a tough opponent in three-time Muay Thai World Champion Liam Harrison at ONE Fight Night 18. Yet, the fighter shared that in case everything goes well, he plans to also establish his Muay Thai career.
Lineker has an impressive MMA record in ONE Championship. The only blemish visible in his slate is his no-contest bout against Fabricio Andrade in October 2022 and his loss to the same fighter in February. His remaining seven bouts, on the other hand, are all successful.
Now, the MMA fighter is venturing into a new sport. In the second week of 2024, the Brazilian fighter will face his first Muay Thai opponent. Harrison, so far, has three losses and two wins in his ONE career, with his last bout resulting in a loss to Nong-O Hama in 2022. Despite those details, the Briton still has the advantage over Lineker, with the former being the stranger in the sport.
Lineker, nonetheless, seems determined to explore Muay Thai, sharing that he might pursue the sport in case he wins this bout.
“Let’s see how this fight against Liam Harrison goes. If I do well, I intend to keep fighting Muay Thai and MMA,” Lineker told MMA Junkie. “I’m going to Thailand 20 days early to train at Lions MMA in Phuket and adapt to the climate and time zone. I did this last time and it worked, so I’m doing it again to be well-adapted on fight day.”
The two fighters will join Kwon Won Il and Shinechagtga Zoltsetseg in the event. More bouts are expected to be announced as the date of ONE Fight Night 18 approaches.
