A jam-packed two days of MMA action begins on Friday night when Amazon Prime Video presents its third live event in as many months from Singapore-based combat sports promotion ONE Championship, ONE on Prime Video 3. Friday, the promotion travels to Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia for the ONE on Prime Video 3 main event.
ONE on Prime Video 3 Specifics and Important Notice for Amazon Prime Video Subscribers
- Nine total bouts will be held on Friday night (main card 10 pm ET/ 7 pm PT on Amazon Prime Video.)
- Four fights will be MMA contests.
- A single grappling match will be held.
- Four other fights will be Muay-Thai bouts.
Viewers of ONE on Prime Video 3 and the ONE on Prime Video 3 main event on Friday night should take note that this show will be available to Amazon Prime Video subscribers inside the United States and Canada only. Outside of North America, Friday’s card will be available on pay-per-view through ONE Championship’s official Website, airing under the title ONE Fight Night 3.
Earlier this year, the promotion and Amazon Prime signed a contract to bring live events to the streaming video service once a month in primetime on Fridays. ONE is targeting cards on American soil as part of its 2023 schedule of events in addition to the Amazon deal.
Bantamweight Gold at Stake Friday in ONE on Prime Video 3 Main Event
Topping the night’s card on Friday, the ONE Bantamweight Championship (145 lbs.) will be up for the taking in the ONE on Prime Video 3 main event. Incumbent titleholder and former UFC stalwart John Lineker (35-9 MMA, 4-0 ONE Championship) puts his strap on the line against No. 2 contender Fabricio Andrade (8-2 MMA, 5-0 ONE Championship) in an all-Brazil showdown.
As with all MMA championship fights, this one will be an advertised maximum of five rounds at five minutes per round.
ONE bases its weight classes on a fighter’s everyday weight and has long barred dehydration as a means of weight-cutting.
ONE on Prime Video 3 Main Event Fighter Comparison
Heading into the ONE on Prime Video 3 main event on Friday night, challenger Fabricio Andrade stands as the taller man at 5-foot-6, compared to the 5-foot-3 frame of champion John Lineker. Additionally, the challenger owns a 4.7-inch reach advantage (71.7 inches to 67 inches even) over the challenger ahead of the title fight.
At press time, the betting odds were not yet made available by the sportsbooks for Friday’s main event.
“Hands of Stone” is Hungry For a Finish in ONE on Prime Video 3 Main Event
John Lineker enters Friday’s headlining encounter having gone 4-1 in his last five fights. At present, he’s on a four-fight winning streak in the aftermath of his 2019 release from the UFC. Last time out, he scored a second-round knockout due to a left hook against Bibiano Fernandes on March 11 during the main event of ONE Championship: Lights Out.
That evening’s fight was a realization of a contest which was twice cancelled by COVID last winter, including once due to a rise in COVID-19 cases in Singapore.
Lineker has finished three of his previous four appearances in the promotion by way of knockout, something that he hopes will continue on Friday.
The champion was recently interviewed by the promotion, where he discussed his acumen as a competitor.
“My fighting style, my aggression when I get in the cage, is natural,” he began. “That’s what I do every day. It’s all-natural, I don’t invent anything, don’t do anything different in the fight than I do in training. Of course, with each fight, we evolve, and, naturally, we become more cautious and conservative, but I don’t feel any pressure.”
John Lineker is a man who seems unbothered by his opponent on Friday, but his opponent can finish the fight inside the distance, as well.
Fabricio Andrade Seeks Fourth Straight Knockout Win
In the other corner, Fabricio Andrade has posted a perfect 5-0 record in his last five bouts, all of which have come under the ONE Championship banner. More impressively, he’s finished his last three opponents via knockout, including his most recent opponent, Kwon Won Il (11-4 MMA, 6-4 ONE Championship), on June 3 during ONE Championship 158.
Last Friday, during a pre-fight interview, Andrade mentioned that he’s a better fighter than Lineker.
“I believe I’m as powerful as he is,” Andrade said, “but I think what makes a difference is my fight IQ and he’s got points, I’ve got points. I’ve got kicks, I’ve got a knee. I’ve got movement, I’ve got everything. The power is even, but my skills [are] way above his.”
It goes without saying that the ONE on Prime Video 3 main event will be a strikers’ treat on Friday. Only one question remains: Who wins?
Analysis, Film Study, and Prediction
Stylistically, Friday night’s championship confrontation seems to favor John Lineker, a brown belt in Brazilian jiu-jitsu, compared to Fabricio Andrade’s background as a Muay-Thai fighter. Both of these men are known as strikers, so the ONE on Prime Video 3 main event could border on toss-up territory.
John Lineker is Fierce with Punches
Throughout his MMA career, John Lineker has been known to be an aggressive striker, something that Troy Worthen found out the hard way during ONE on TNT 3 last year. Although the fight was supposed to be a three-round affair, Lineker needed less than a round to close the show.
Lineker immediately attacked with a barrage of strikes, even though one of those shots was an inadvertent strike below the belt. Troy Worthen was able to return fire during the first round, but his shots were few and far between, as John Lineker was too much for him to handle.
For as short as the fight lasted, Lineker’s volume was high, repeatedly piecing Worthen up with punches to his body, along with left-handed shots and leg kicks. He was able to fight off a Worthen takedown attempt with another punch, furthering his onslaught.
It was all John Lineker, all the time that night, finishing the job with a right-handed punch to knock Troy Worthen out with less than a minute to go in the first round. If Lineker is able to get out to a lightning-fast start with punches, he will retain the championship.
Look For Fabricio Andrade’s Kicking Game
In the other corner, Fabricio Andrade matches up with John Lineker quite nicely here, since he’s able to counterstrike if the situation deems it necessary. Just ask Kwon Won Il, who learned that firsthand back in June.
Right from the command to fight, Andrade feinted a left leg kick before landing one, and even though Kwon was able to counterpunch with a jab, it wouldn’t matter. Fabricio Andrade proved to be a tall order in the short time that this contest went on, peppering Kwon with a left-handed shot before scoring with another left-leg kick.
A few high kicks from Andrade followed, and it was at this point that he smelled blood in the water. With just over one minute having elapsed from the fight, Andrade connected on a tremendous kick to Kwon’s liver, shutting his body down and out for the victory.
If Fabricio Andrade is able to counterstrike effectively with kicks, he’ll make history on Friday night and become the first man to score a knockout of John Lineker.
Final Thoughts
Not much more has to be said about this contest on Friday except this fair warning: Please do not blink or look away from your screen when watching the ONE on Prime Video 3 main event. You just might miss the knockout punch.
Prediction: John Lineker by First-Round Knockout.
Who do you think comes away with the win? Let us know in the comments section.
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