In a highly-anticipated showdown between two top-ranked bantamweight contenders under the ONE Championship banner, John Lineker prevailed over Stephen Loman.
Both men fought each other on the main card of ONE Fight Night 14, which took place at the Singapore Indoor Stadium on Saturday, September 30.
The former ONE bantamweight champion and current No. 1 contender from Brazil wasted no time in demonstrating his striking prowess, putting forth a boxing clinic that had his No. 2-rated opponent on the back foot in the first half of the opening salvo.
Loman attempted to shift the momentum in his favor by taking Lineker down. However, “Hands of Stone” wasn’t willing to let Loman dictate the pace of the bout so easily on the ground.
After Loman’s initial attempt to have matters on the mats, the Brazilian displayed his resilience and made it clear that the Filipino standout would have to earn any further takedowns the hard way.
As the bout progressed into the second round, both fighters exhibited remarkable composure, carefully picking their shots.
Despite an accidental finger poke that caused swelling around Lineker’s left eye, he continued to press forward and delivered powerful hooks, showing his determination to secure the win.
The third round saw Loman attempting to change the course of the fight. He pushed for action in the center of the Circle, and an accidental low blow briefly interrupted the intense exchanges.
Lineker seized the chance to recover, and when the fight recommenced, Loman stepped on the gas pedal with the intent of scoring a takedown.
Nevertheless, Lineker demonstrated his remarkable ability to thwart Loman’s takedown attempts, preventing him from gaining control.
As the clock wound down, Lineker stalked Loman, clobbering powerful hooks that Loman valiantly attempted to counter.
In the end, there was no doubt about the outcome. All judges scored the bout in favor of Lineker by way of unanimous decision.
Lineker’s impressive performance allowed him to improve his record to 37-10. It also positions him to a potential third date with Fabricio Andrade for the ONE bantamweight title.
On the other hand, Loman snapped his impressive 11-fight winning streak with the loss to Lineker, his first defeat since January 2016 when he suffered a knockout loss at the hands of compatriot Rex De Lara.
The Team Lakay phenom now sports a downgraded slate of 17-3.
