Former ONE bantamweight MMA world champion John “Hands of Stone” Lineker picked up his second knockout win in Muay Thai against Russian powerhouse Alexey Balyko at ONE Fight Night 25 on October 5 in Bangkok, and he named “The Iron Man” as someone he’d like to meet during his post-fight interviews.
Though he has a fearsome reputation for putting opponents to sleep with his fiery fists, Rodtang fails to be intimidated by the Brazilian brawler.
“For me, from a fighter’s perspective, he’s not scary at all. Only his punches are dangerous,” he stated.
“But I understand his style. Because he’s short, he can’t kick effectively. He has to walk in to punch. But his punches are deadly. He can kill a buffalo with his punch. But if I use my footwork, he might not hit me at all.”
Rodtang’s fearsome reputation has resulted in many foes calling him out over the years. And more often than not, his enemies have failed to live up to their words.
So, for the Thai great, situations like this are just another day in the office. But if Lineker is serious about making the brawl happen, he insists that he’d consider it if the conditions were right.
“He can call everyone out. I’m ready to fight everyone, but in the same or close to my division,” he said.
“It would be fair if he comes down to me, maybe a 140-pound catchweight or 135 pounds.”
A fight between the two mouthy athletes is purely hypothetical for now, as “The Iron Man” has his hands full with preparing to put his ONE flyweight Muay Thai world title on the line in a rematch with #3-ranked contender Jacob Smith at ONE 169: Malykhin vs. Reug Reug.
After that, there’s a good chance Lineker would have to get in line, as many stars in ONE Championship have put a target on Rodtang’s back.
