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Fabricio Andrade endured a tough path to claim the ONE bantamweight MMA world championship, and he's not going to let the gold slip from his grasp at ONE 170.
Inside the sold-out Impact Arena in Bangkok, 'Wonder Boy' looks to pull a 2-0 lead against No. 3-ranked Kwon Won Il, secure his first world title defense, and announce his comeback in style.
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Ahead of his return on Jan. 24, Sportskeeda MMA caught up with the 27-year-old to get his thoughts on his rematch against the South Korean standout.
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While he believes Kwon has done his part to earn a shot at his crown — 'Pretty Boy' has knocked out three of his past opponents — Fabricio Andrade is ready to show the challenger that he is levels above him:
"I believe Kwon Won Il deserves his shot at my ONE Championship world title. And for me, it's the same. I'm honored to, you know, fight against him. Defend my belt for the first time. I can't wait. I want to show why I am the bantamweight king."
Andrade claimed his spot atop the throne with a dominant outing at ONE Fight Night 7 in February 2023. His mix of aggression and accuracy forced then-kingpin John Lineker to retire between rounds.
Overall, the Tiger Muay Thai and Evolve MMA athlete is undefeated across seven MMA fights in the promotion, which includes that stunning liver kick finish of Kwon.
His only defeat in the promotion came at the hands of Jonathan Haggerty in their ONE bantamweight kickboxing world title tilt.
Fabricio Andrade on possible John Lineker trilogy: "It's going to be trouble for him"
Fabricio Andrade isn't convinced that 'Hands of Stone' wants any more smoke from him.
That said, the Brazilian remains open to another matchup against the knockout machine, and he's confident that things will play out in his favor once more.
In the same interview, he continued:
"I'm not too sure whether he wants it, you know. He's getting a bit old. He's had a lot of much easier fights since we last fought. But, you know, if it does happen, he knows it won't be an easy fight. And if I get to enjoy a full camp, it's going to be trouble for him."
ONE 170 will be available to fight fans at watch.onefc.com this Friday, Jan. 24.
