John Lineker wary about Fabricio Andrade’s chances against “Muay Thai specialist” Jonathan Haggerty
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John Lineker firmly believes that Jonathan Haggerty will give Fabricio Andrade a run for his money in their upcoming clash.
Haggerty and Andrade square off for the vacant ONE Bantamweight Kickboxing World Title. This bout headlines ONE Fight Night 16 on Prime Video, airing live in U.S. primetime from the iconic Lumpinee Boxing Stadium in Bangkok, Thailand, on November 3.
It’s worth noting that Lineker knows Andrade all too well. Both men have crossed paths twice in the past.
The first encounter ended in an anticlimactic no contest. However, their second battle resulted in Andrade’s victory by fourth-round stoppage.
With Andrade, the reigning ONE Bantamweight MMA World Champion, transitioning to kickboxing to take on Haggerty, the ONE Bantamweight Muay Thai World Champion, Lineker feels that his Brazilian compatriot will face a challenge like never before.
“It’s going to be a tough fight for Fabricio because Jonathan Haggerty is a Muay Thai specialist. Despite Fabricio having done some Muay Thai and kickboxing fights, he ended up migrating and focusing more on MMA,” Lineker said.
While he recognizes the subtleties of Andrade’s striking game, Lineker emphasizes that Haggerty is in a league of his own when it comes to pure stand-up fighting.
“I believe that Fabricio will work more in the long distance, playing the straight shots and working on the kicks. And Jonathan Haggerty will try to play close range and work on his knees and kicks,” he said.
“I don’t follow much Muay Thai and kickboxing fights, but what little I’ve seen, Haggerty kicks very well. I think he’ll explore the kicks a lot.”
Lineker is convinced that the odds are in favor of the divisional Muay Thai king to pull off the finish.
“I believe Jonathan Haggerty can get a knockout,” he said.
But despite favoring Haggerty in the matchup, he’s not writing Andrade off.
“I believe that Fabricio can do well in this fight because he’s a great striker,” Lineker added.