Martial arts fans around the globe are buzzing with excitement about former ONE Bantamweight MMA World Champion John “Hands of Stone” Lineker‘s second Muay Thai clash.
The slugger will go toe-to-toe with Russian striking ace Alexey Balyko at ONE Fight Night 25: Alexis vs. Nicolas II on Prime Video, which will air live in U.S. primetime from Bangkok’s legendary Lumpinee Stadium this Friday, October 4.
Long regarded as one of MMA’s hardest pound-for-pound punchers, Lineker made his Muay Thai debut at ONE 168: Denver this past September, where he knocked out Asa “The American Ninja” Ten Pow in truly spectacular fashion.
The Brazilian will now make a quick turnaround against the immensely talented Balyko, who boasts a wealth of professional Muay Thai experience, which includes 23 career victories in the sport and a 3-1 slate in ONE Championship.
Ahead of ONE Fight Night 25, both fighters spoke to onefc.com about this highly anticipated matchup.
John Lineker: ‘I’m Going To Knock Him Out’
Against Asa Ten Pow, John Lineker showcased the same crowd-pleasing approach that he has employed over the course of his 16-year MMA career – wade forward with massive, show-stopping punches to the head and body until his opponent crumbles.
“Hands of Stone” knows that his brawling style of striking is no secret. He believes that Alexey Balyko follows a similar boxing-heavy game plan, but it differs in that he doesn’t utilize the same constant forward pressure.
Lineker said:
“My strong point is boxing, and I think his style is very similar to mine. I think what makes the difference is that I’m a guy who moves forward a lot, and he’s a guy who moves more, especially to the side and backwards. He doesn’t move forward much. So, I think that’s what differentiates my style from his. I’m a guy who always moves forward looking for the knockout, and he’s a guy who moves a lot in the cage.”
Despite competing in Muay Thai for just the second time in his life, and despite his foe’s significant experience advantage in the sport, Lineker is supremely confident that he’ll be able to find the knockout.
The Brazilian thinks that it will be business as usual at ONE Fight Night 25, and that’s great news for the fans.
The 34-year-old added:
“As I always say in all of my interviews and I will repeat it because it is true, and it is what I like to do, I go into the cage looking for the knockout all the time. And it will be no different in this fight. I fight to knock out my opponents. I don’t like to leave the result in the hands of the judges. I’m going to go for the knockout, I want the knockout, and I’m going to knock him out.”
Alexey Balyko: ‘I Want To Break Him Mentally’
Given John Lineker’s status as a former ONE World Champion and globally recognized superstar, Alexey Balyko knows that some – including “Hands of Stone” himself – might be looking past him.
But that doesn’t faze the 31-year-old Russian. In fact, he hopes that’s the case.
Balyko explained:
“I’m sure he’s underestimating me, and that will play to my advantage. I think he’ll wait for his moment as usual, hoping to catch me when I make a mistake and then to end the fight. But he doesn’t know me well. I think I’ll be a surprise for him.”
Indeed, while Balyko might be a lesser-recognized name than his opponent, that doesn’t mean he’s short on talent. The Tiger Muay Thai product has firmly established himself as one of Russia’s top strikers, and his trio of dominant victories in ONE has erased any doubt that he belongs among the best of the best.
As the much more experienced Muay Thai practitioner, Balyko isn’t particularly impressed by Lineker’s overall striking repertoire. Truthfully, he has some sharp criticisms for the Brazilian’s reckless style of brawling.
The Russian said:
“For some reason, Lineker decided to fight in Muay Thai, which surprises me a lot. He can’t even kick higher than a low kick. If he chose to grapple, I think people would be less surprised. His punches might be heavy, but they are wide and slow. In the fight with me, he’ll get a taste of the Soviet school of boxing. My main focus is not to get too carried away and not make a silly mistake. I will approach this fight with a cool head and fierce determination.”
Ultimately, Balyko is focused on delivering a knockout performance at ONE Fight Night 25, just like Lineker.
But the Russian destroyer doesn’t just want to get the KO. He wants to thoroughly outclass the MMA superstar in every aspect of Muay Thai.
Balyko said:
“My strategy will be to make him feel powerless. I want to break him mentally.”
