Team Lakay bantamweights Stephen Loman and Kevin Belingon have added their voice to the upcoming bout between No. 1 contender John Lineker and Troy Worthen in ONE on TNT III at the Singapore Indoor Stadium today, April 21.
Loman was supposed to take on Lineker but was forced to pull out of the card after testing positive for COVID-19.
READ: Loman to continue working hard despite missing ONE debut
That said, the 28-year-old Loman believes that Worthen has a "great chance of winning" as long as he can build up his striking in transition to wrestling against Lineker.
Once Worthen controls the pace, Loman is firm that he can dictate the action from then on.
"Lineker’s power is unreal. His boxing is a huge advantage. Once he finds his rhythm, he will throw combinations to the head and body without fear, and that pressure is relentless," said Loman, who recently finished his 14-day mandatory quarantine. "On the other hand, Worthen is very solid with his wrestling and his takedowns. He trains with a great team at Sanford MMA, and I’m sure they have a solid game plan."
Lineker, known as Brazilian's "Hands of Stone" is known for his heavy-hitting punches and that is pretty much evident when he knocked out Belingon in ONE: Inside the Matrix III last November.
Belingon, meanwhile, is not picking a specific bet but foresees either a knockout or submission victory from the two.
"They are evenly matched, in my opinion. Worthen is a good enough striker to be able to trade strikes with Lineker, while Lineker can surely hold his own against Worthen on the ground. It’s hard to pick a winner, and this fight can go either way," said Belingon, echoing Loman's statement on Lineker and Worthen's individual specialties.
Should Lineker win the bout, he will boost his chances for the title shot against current world champion Bibiano Fernandes.