Fabricio Andrade says John Lineker hasn't looked the same in recent fights: "I don't know what's happened with him"

Fabricio Andrade is open to another barnburner fight against John Lineker, but he is convinced that his nemesis isn't the same fighter he once was.

The reigning ONE bantamweight MMA world champion shared his views on adding another chapter to their rivalry during a recent interview with Nick Atkin.

"Yeah, eventually [I'd be happy to face Lineker again], you know, like why not? But I also don't see him now after he fought Muay Thai," Fabricio Andrade said.

"He got a fight against Shinya Aoki, I don't know what weight that was, and then he lost, and then after that he went to Muay Thai and kickboxing. So I don't know what's happened with him."

Andrade, of course, has sat atop the bantamweight throne since beating John Lineker via TKO at ONE Fight Night 7 in February 2023.

He controlled the knockout machine in the striking department before earning a stoppage win between the rounds.

Their first fight ended in a no contest after 'Wonder Boy' accidentally hammered a low blow in the direction of 'Hands of Stone'. Before the contest came to an end, though, it was mostly one way traffic coming from the direction of Fabricio Andrade.

As such, a trilogy would only make sense if the Brazilian veteran can prove he's still operating at the elite level.

For now, Andrade has a tough test awaiting him, and his focus remains on defending his 26 pounds of gold.

Watch Fabricio Andrade's full interview with Nick Atkin here:

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Fabricio Andrade returns in ONE Fight Night 38 main event

At ONE Fight Night 38 on Friday, Dec. 5, Fabricio Andrade will return to the global stage of ONE Championship to defend his crown for the second time in 2025.

That evening in Bangkok, Thailand, the Brazilian martial artist squares off against in-form Mongolian destroyer Enkh-Orgil Baatarkhuu.

The challenger has racked up three successive wins, including two back-to-back submission triumphs against Carlo Bumina-ang and Aaron Canarte.

Meanwhile, Andrade seeks to ace his second test as the reigning ONE bantamweight MMA world champion with another performance that captures his devastating finishing abilities.

The 28-year-old needed just 42 seconds to shut down Kwon Won Il in January this year, and he will undoubtedly have his eyes on another highlight-reel moment to wrap up his year in style.

Will it be Andrade who gets his hand raised come fight night, or will the Mongolian finishing machine end his year at the top of the bantamweight mountain?

Active Amazon Prime Video subscribers can catch all the action for free. Stay tuned to Sportskeeda MMA for any updates on the organization's final American primetime spectacle of 2025.