“He took a risk” - Anatoly Malykhin praises Fabricio Andrade for taking on dangerous challenge against Jonathan Haggerty

Two-division world champion Anatoly Malykhin knew the risks his teammate Fabricio Andrade was going to take in the champion vs. champion fight against Jonathan Haggerty at ONE Fight Night 16.

Andrade faced Haggerty, the ONE bantamweight Muay Thai world champion, in a super fight at the historic Lumpinee Boxing Stadium that ended in disaster for the reigning ONE bantamweight MMA world champion.

Haggerty took the match with a second-round knockout to claim the vacant ONE bantamweight kickboxing world championship, a match that Malykhin believed was a huge challenge for Andrade.

In an interview with ONE Championship, Malykhin expressed the dangers Andrade faced but praised the younger Brazilian star for the commitment he displayed at kickboxing.

Malykhin said:

“He did well. He showed courage, and he could have just stayed in MMA, defend his belt, and not take risks. And he took a risk, he gave a show. A lot of people watched that fight.”

Andrade was a stellar kickboxer and Muay Thai artist with a 40-3 record before moving to MMA. It was in the multi-faceted sport that ‘Wonder Boy’ showcased a range of skills that was unlike anything seen before in the Circle.

The 26-year-old was an unstoppable force in ONE Championship and compiled a 6-0 (1 no-contest) record in his MMA matches.

His last win saw him claim the vacant ONE bantamweight MMA world title when he forced John Lineker to quit at the stool at the end of the fourth round in their ONE Fight Night 7 headliner.

Andrade’s loss to Haggerty, however, showed the caliber ‘The General’ is in.

The former ONE flyweight Muay Thai world champion is in an ungodly form in the striking realm and was coming off an iconic upset win over the legendary Nong-O Hama for the ONE bantamweight Muay Thai world title at ONE Fight Night 9.