“He can't be underestimated” - Fabricio Andrade admits he must be wary at all times in striking exchanges vs Kwon Won Il

Despite already knocking out Kwon Won Il in the past, Fabricio Andrade admits he cannot afford to be complacent at ONE 170.

After dealing with a series of injuries, 'Wonder Boy' is back to defend his bantamweight MMA crown in the first of three world title bouts in the stacked card happening on Jan. 24 at Bangkok's Impact Arena.

Andrade first locked horns with Kwon at ONE 158 back in 2022. At the time, both up-and-comers were just looking to make a name for themselves in the promotion's 145-pound MMA ranks.

It was Fabricio Andrade, though, who made the leap after he knocked out the Korean fighter with a nasty liver kick in round 1.

Speaking to ONE ahead of their rematch, the Brazilian firecracker said he'll remain wary of the challenger, who's out to seek revenge.

"He's a very aggressive guy, has very good boxing, and works well with punches to the waistline. He's a young guy and still has a lot to improve, but he can't be underestimated."

Rewatch Andrade vs Kwon 1 here:

To be fair, Kwon has looked like a completely different fighter since devastatingly losing to Andrade.

'Pretty Boy's devastating knockout power was in full display after scoring three-straight finishes over Mark Abelardo, Artem Belakh, and Shinechagtga Zoltsetseg.

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Fabricio Andrade out to make Kwon Won Il pay for his words

Fabricio Andrade loves to play mental warfare with his foes before the fight even begins.

Looks like he found a match with the sharp-tongued Kwon Won Il, who has been spouting his desire to knock out Andrade throughout the build-up to this five-round war.

In the same interview with ONE, 'Wonder Boy' claimed the no.3 ranked challenger will soon face the repercussions of his actions.

"I think all his trash talk just shows that he's not confident. He knows I'm dangerous, that I can knock him out at any moment. So, I think he should be more respectful."

ONE 170 will air live via watch.onefc.com on Jan. 24, live on Asian Primetime.