John Lineker Falls to Shinya Aoki's Dominant Performance at ONE 165

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.