“I had to wait a while” - Fabrício Andrade says tricky shoulder injury ruined his plans

Reigning and undisputed ONE bantamweight MMA world champion 'Wonder Boy' Fabricio Andrade of Brazil wanted to come back to the Circle sooner rather than later, but the hard-hitting 27-year-old says he had to deal with a harrowing shoulder injury that ruined his plans.

Andrade was out for the entirety of 2024 as he nursed a debilitating shoulder injury. However, now that he has fully recovered, 'Wonder Boy' is ready to return to action this weekend.

Speaking to ONE Championship in a recent interview, Andrade talked about a tricky injury that doctors couldn't quite figure out.

'Wonder Boy' said:

"I had an MRI and it was a very confusing injury, and I didn't know if I would need surgery or not. So, it was a very difficult time. But in the end, I didn't need surgery. But I did need to focus a lot on physical therapy and muscle strengthening. This shoulder injury prevented me from returning to fighting before."

Andrade added:

"I had to wait a while to be able to compete again. But now I'm 100 percent and, thank God, I already have this fight scheduled. And I intend to be very active in 2025, I want to fight a lot and achieve many victories."

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Fabricio Andrade trades leather with rival Kwon Won Il in world title rematch at ONE 170

'Wonder Boy' Fabricio Andrade is set to do it all over again with South Korea's 'Pretty Boy' Kwon Won Il.

The two lock horns at ONE 170, broadcasting live from the Impact Arena in Bangkok, Thailand this Friday, Jan. 24.

Fans in the U.S. and Canada can visit watch.onefc.com to catch a live stream of the event or go to ONE Championship's official website for more information on how to watch from specific locations.

Stay tuned to Sportskeeda MMA for all the latest news and updates surrounding the event as it happens.