Fabricio Andrade returns to blended martial arts with a aim in thoughts: defend his ONE Championship title sufficient to be acknowledged because the No. 1 bantamweight on the planet.
Andrade needed to combat John Lineker twice to assert the ONE belt in 2023, forcing the hard-hitting UFC veteran to give up after a 20-minute beatdown. He went on to face beautify striker Jonathan Haggerty for ONE’s kickboxing title — which didn’t finish nicely for him —, and now lastly places his MMA belt on the road Friday in Thailand.
“I plan on preventing three or 4 instances this yr and keep energetic,” Andrade instructed MMA Combating forward of his ONE 170 conflict with Kwon Gained Il. “I hope to defend my belt as many instances as I can. That’s additionally one of many targets, to be recognized and revered worldwide, however the one factor I can management is to combat and placed on good performances, knocking individuals out and exhibiting I’m on an excellent degree and folks can begin to acknowledge me. Aside from that, there’s actually nothing I can do.”
Andrade is unbeaten in MMA bouts beneath the ONE Championship banner with 5 stoppages in six wins. Certainly one of his victims was Gained Il, completed in simply 62 seconds with a kick to the liver.
“I consider I’m not even in my prime but,” stated the 27-year-old fighter of Tiger Muay Thai workforce. “I solely have a number of MMA fights, so I’m nonetheless evolving in grappling and MMA, so with time the world will begin to acknowledge me.”
Gained Il was very vocal after victory over Shinechagtga Zoltsetseg in early 2024, saying he was going to “kill” Andrade. The champion didn’t sound that impressed, although.
“I feel he’s simply attempting to advertise the combat,” Andrade responded. “He is aware of I knocked him out quick in our first combat, so he’s speaking crap attempting to get individuals to neglect that. However the fact is, he is aware of he must be one hundred pc alert to combat me as a result of I can finish the combat at any second, and simply saying issues gained’t make any distinction. When the cage closes, it’s solely him and I there, after which we’ll see what he’s speaking.”
Gained Il is on a roll since shedding to the Brazilian, knocking out three in a row to enhance to 6-1 in his previous seven. Andrade sees evolution in his sport, however perhaps not sufficient to simply accept a stand-up struggle in Bangkok.
“The primary combat was very quick so it’s like we didn’t even combat for actual, so it’s going to be very fascinating to see the way it performs out this time,” Andrade stated. “I can’t go in there overconfident pondering I’ll finish the combat the identical method as a result of perhaps I can’t finish it quick and ain’t prepared for 5 rounds. I’ve to look again on the issues I did proper for that combat and give attention to this combat, but additionally know that the actual fact I knocked him out with a kick to the physique reveals he can’t take successful to the physique. A combat is unpredictable and we now have to be ready for every little thing.
“I do consider he may attempt to (take me down) as a result of final time he fought a harmful striker and took him down and gained with some floor and pound. His opponent didn’t have good wrestling, after all, however I feel which may give him confidence to attempt to grapple with me. I wouldn’t say it’s unattainable or unlikely that he tries that, however I’m certain I’ve the higher wrestling and jiu-jitsu. If he tries that, I’ll be able to defend. And if there’s a possibility, I would take it to the bottom and end him. I don’t simply go to the bottom and maintain you, I am going for the end.”
