Fabricio Andrade shows off the ONE bantamweight world title in a photoshoot to begin the “new era” in the division

Fabricio Andrade brings yet another belt back to Tiger Muay Thai.

Make that three gold straps at the Phuket super-gym, alongside fellow ONE world champions Anatoly Malykhin (light heavyweight and heavyweight MMA) and Tang Kai (featherweight MMA).

Andrade posted photos from his photoshoot with the belt to his Instagram account, alongside Tiger Muay Thai coach Krunin. Take a look at the photos - and Fabricio Andrade’s black eye - from the fight with John Lineker.

“The beginning of a new era”

Andrade had been waiting for his moment to win the belt for far too long. His first opportunity last October ended in a disappointing No Contest with Lineker.

While the rematch would be the toughest test of Andrade's MMA career, he ended it with a deeply satisfying conclusion. The 25-year-old won the belt just before the fifth and final round, as Lineker’s corner called off the fight due to the mounting damage to Lineker’s eyes.

The new era at bantamweight likely begins with an extended break for the new world champion, who has been extremely busy in the ONE Circle and focusing the better part of last year to prepare to fight Lineker.

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Stephen Loman admits he didn’t watch Fabricio Andrade’s TKO of John Lineker live: “I caught the replay”

Another powerhouse gym in ONE Championship is Baguio City’s Team Lakay.

Staples of the Filipino team that have held belts for ONE include Geje Eustaqiao, Joshua Pacio, Eduard Folayang, and Kevin Belingon.

While the team doesn’t currently hold a world championship with ONE, they have a guy they believe will be the next: bantamweight Stephen Loman.

Loman is undefeated in ONE and recently beat a former world champion in Bibiano Fernandes. However, there’s a catch if Loman wants to become the next Team Lakay world champion: he’ll have to beat ONE’s newest world title holder, Fabricio Andrade.

Speaking to media outlet The MMA Superfan, Stephen Loman spoke about the Fabricio Andrade fight (which he missed):

“After I watched Danny [Kingad’s] fight and victory, I was pumped. So I told myself that I would go for a jog for a while and come back to watch the main event. But I didn’t make it in time. The only thing I caught was the announcement of the winner, but I was still pumped because I saw that Andrade won.

"I caught the replay.”

Loman's own teammate, Danny Kingad, is potentially on his way to a flyweight world title fight if he can keep things going.

Many have seen Loman and Fabricio Andrade as two men on a collision course. Loman, the next challenger for the bantamweight crown, is waiting for Andrade to be ready.