Top-ranked bantamweight contender John Lineker of Brazil knocked out Troy Worthen in the first round to cap off the ONE on TNT III on a high note at the Singapore Indoor Stadium Thursday, April 22.
Lineker came out of the gates firing powerful boxing combinations without hesitation and went on to land a torrent of thudding punches to the head and body throughout the fight.
Showing tremendous conditioning and durability, Worthen somehow stayed on his feet despite absorbing Lineker's best shots.
But inside the final minute of the first round, the powerful Brazilian connected with a straight right hand that marked the end for his foe as the "Hands of Stone" quickly followed up with another right hand on the ground to seal the finish which prompted referee Muhammad Sulaiman to stop the match at the 4:35 mark.
This further strengthened Lineker's chances of challenging ONE bantamweight world champion Bibiano Fernandes later this year.
ICYMI: Loman, Belingon weigh in on Lineker-Worthen bout
In the co-main event, No. 4 flyweight contender Yuya Wakamatsu took care of business against dangerous grappler and fifth-seeded fighter Reece McLaren in an entertaining three-round affair.
Wakamatsu made his intentions known early on, winging wild haymakers from range while McLaren constantly threatened with submissions in intense mat exchanges.
As the bout wore on, Wakamatsu began to establish his dominance, tagging McLaren with crisp boxing combinations as all three judges scored the fight in favor of the Japanese star to win by unanimous decision.
In the lead card, Ok Rae Yoon stunned former ONE featherweight world champion and No. 5 lightweight contender Marat Gafurov, winning by unanimous decision after three closely contested rounds of action. With his victory, Ok will face American legend Eddie Alvarez at “ONE on TNT IV” next week.
Miao Li Tao, meanwhile, authored a fantastic performance against Ryuto Sawada in their highly-anticipated rematch to come away with a unanimous decision after a grueling three-round fight.
In ONE Super Series Muay Thai showdown, kickboxing icon Nieky Holzken put together a tremendous performance to stop legendary striker John Wayne Parr in the second round.