John Linekar took on Shinya Aoki on ONE HOUR NOTICE after Sage Northcutt pulled out

ONE Championship featured a last minute change in John Linekar replacing Sage Northcutt to face Shinya Aoki at ONE 165.

John Linekar took on Shinya Aoki on ONE HOUR NOTICE after Sage Northcutt pulled out

Shinya Aoki wins against John Lineker ( Image via X)

Sage Northcutt and Shinya Aoki were supposed to fight in ONE 165 in Tokyo Japan. However, Northcutt pulled out at the last minute and John Linekar took his place. Here is what happened:

Northcutt pulled out of the fight because his cornermen had last-minute visa issues. Northcutt said he did not wish to fight without his core team. He previously pulled out of a 2021 fight against Aoki after contracting COVID-19. This resulted in Aoki stepping in to face John Lineker in an open-weight bout.

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Shinya Aoki is known for his powerful ground game, which has won him multiple titles. He is a former two-time ONE Championship lightweight champion and a former champion in the Dream and Shooto promotions. Aoki has been a professional MMA fighter for over 20 years and is considered one of the best at 155 pounds in MMA. He has a professional MMA record of 48 wins 11 losses and 1 no contest.

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Meanwhile, Lineker is a former ONE bantamweight World Champion and a former Jungle Fight bantamweight champion. He made his professional debut in 2008 and has a record of 37 wins, 11 losses, and 1 no-contest. Linekar is currently the number two contender in the bantamweight division.

How did John Linekar lose to Shinya Aoki at ONE 165?

Shinya Aoki defeated John Lineker in the open weight fight. Aoki submitted Lineker in the first round after Lineker had replaced Sage Northcutt on short notice.

Sage Northcutt vs Shinya Aoki
Sage Northcutt vs Shinya Aoki (Image via Instagram)

Shinya Aoki tapped John Lineker via a rear-naked choke three minutes into the first round. Aoki is nearly 20 pounds heavier than Lineker and is much taller. He used his size advantage early in the fight and dragged Lineker to the mat with a double leg. Lineker tried to wrestle up, but Aoki applied a tight d’Arce choke. He then stepped over into the mount and gained the position when the choke failed.

Lineker gave up his back in an attempt to defend. But that allowed Aoki to sneak in a neck hold. Unable to break the hold, Lineker had no choice but to tap out.

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