John Lineker talks potential Demetrious Johnson matchup, ONE Super Series bouts

John Lineker is currently dialed in on his ONE Championship debut, which will pit him against the ferocious Muin Gafurov at ONE: Dawn of Valor in Jakarta, Indonesia on October 25. Yet that doesn’t mean he’s not thinking about his future under the ONE banner.

Lineker’s ONE debut will occur in the 145-pound ONE bantamweight division. That being said, one of the biggest fights available to him in ONE Championship would be a collision with fellow UFC veteran Demetrious Johnson, who calls the 135-pound ONE flyweight division home.

Lineker and Johnson both competed in the UFC flyweight division for many years, yet they never crossed paths during their time with the Las Vegas-based promotion. Lineker says he’d be willing to mix it up with the MMA legend in ONE Championship, though he has a hunch Johnson will stumble if he meets ONE Flyweight World Champion Adriano Moraes.

“Demetrious Johnson is a really good fighter, but before he can call himself champion [in ONE Championship], he has to fight my teammate Adriano Moraes. Only after that will become champion,” Lineker told BJPenn.com when asked about a potential fight with Johnson.

“Adriano is a great fighter, and his jiu jitsu is excellent. Demetrious is going to have his hands full when he fights him. That’s not going to be an easy fight. I think Adriano has a good chance of beating him.”

While Lineker has made a name for himself as a mixed martial artist, he’s says he’s also interested in competing in kickboxing and perhaps even Muay Thai as part of the ONE Super Series.

“Not only will I be able to fight in MMA, I’ll also be able to strike too,” Lineker said. “ONE says they have the best strikers in the world.

“I’m confident I could do any kind of fight,” he added. “Probably kickboxing. Muay Thai is a little bit different, but the way I fight, with the power I have in my hands, I’ll give trouble to anybody.”

Who do you want to see John Lineker fight under the ONE Championship banner?

This article first appeared on BJPENN.COM on 9/19/2019.