Asa Ten Pow will contend with John Lineker’s power in a bantamweight Muay Thai showcase at ONE Championship’s second U.S. event on Friday, September 6. However, it was not the expectation when Ten Pow initially saw the contract for ONE 168: Denver. He thought he was going up against the Brazilian in an MMA clash, only to be surprised Lineker was coming into his world instead.
“Initially, I thought it was actually an MMA fight. I had to read it and reread it again. And I realized that they were asking for a Muay Thai fight. With it being in Denver, I was ready to be there. It works out for me, keeps me in my wheelhouse, and even helps with the profile, so I’m excited. I know Lineker brings a big fan base. It’s a high-profile fight. It’ll get a lot of eyes on me. I’m expecting a good showing that will help propel my name even further up the rankings,” Ten Pow said to ONE.
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“Hands of Stone” has a long line of success using the power within his hands. Ten Pow knows there is a risk in every exchange. However, in a purely striking sport, Ten Pow does not believe Lineker will find the same success on the feet.
“I have to be very sharp. I have to be disciplined in my pursuit of him. He’s someone who can catch you at any moment. As we’ve seen, he’s been able to knock people out in the last second, and he’s been able to weather some tough battles. I don’t expect his Muay Thai to translate well with me. I expect to have my way as long as I’m not doing what he does best, which is throwing those hooks with no regard for anybody,” the Floridian said.
“The American Ninja” will be looking to manage distance effectively while scoring with his own offense. Ten Pow wants to render Lineker’s game useless and shine under the bright lights in his highest-profile match to date. Still, Ten Pow expects a quick pace to set when the bell rings inside the Ball Arena.
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“The fight is going be at a fast pace and it will definitely be a high-volume fight. You can expect more of the same from me, being present in the fight, determined to win, always looking for the finish, and throwing in those highlight techniques. It’s going to be a show of technique and probably a flash of history in the making. So you don’t want to blink because I’m going to be lighting up the house,” Ten Pow commented.
With more eyes on this event and his match due to Lineker’s presence, Ten Pow sees the opportunity to raise his profile in both Muay Thai and MMA. Should he get the win, he will take whatever is next, as long as it is against someone in the division’s elite. Ultimately, he hopes for a quick turnaround that could bring him to the MMA world in Atlanta.
“John Lineker is right here in front of me. He’s the target, and I’m going to finish that. Then from there, we’ll see what ONE wants to do with me, but I’ll shoot my shot on everything for sure. He is the name to help me in that transition. If I want to be in that MMA world, it helps give me that clout. In MMA, we can do it in Atlanta as well. Get me right back [at ONE 169]. What I’m really trying to do now is stay consistent, be on top of it, and just get these fights going. I think ‘The American Ninja’ is one of the most exciting things to happen to MMA. Put me up against Fabricio Andrade, that would be a great matchup for me.”
ONE 168: Denver airs live on Prime Video on Friday, September 6. The action begins, free for all U.S. and Canadian Amazon Prime subscribers, at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT. Remaining tickets are on sale via Ticketmaster.
