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John Lineker faced off against Shinya Aoki at the ONE 165 event held at the Ariake Arena in Tokyo, Japan. The fight came about as a result of Sage Northcutt's last-minute withdrawal from the event due to corner issues, prompting Lineker to step in as Aoki's opponent.
Entering the contest, Shinya Aoki was determined to break free from a recent two-fight losing streak, having suffered consecutive TKO defeats at the hands of Yoshihiro Akiyama and Saygid Izagakhmaev. Prior to these losses, the 40-year-old veteran had enjoyed a successful four-fight winning streak.
On the other side, John Lineker came into the fight following a unanimous decision victory over Stephen Loman at September's ONE Fight Night 14 event in Singapore. With an impressive record of 6-1 with 1 no-contest in his last seven fights under the ONE Championship banner, Lineker was looking to continue his winning momentum.
However, the 'Lineker vs. Aoki' bout turned out to be a one-sided affair. Early in the opening round, Aoki managed to take Lineker down to the canvas and swiftly transitioned to full mount. From this dominant position, the Japanese jiu-jitsu expert unleashed a barrage of heavy ground and pound, forcing Lineker to concede his back. Aoki capitalized on the opportunity and secured a rear-naked choke, prompting Lineker to tap out, resulting in a decisive victory for Aoki.