“Really wanted to knock him out” - Fabricio Andrade recalls the anger he had in his first fight against Kwon Won Il

ONE bantamweight MMA world champion Fabricio Andrade said he was so angry at Kwon Won il for trying to overtake him for a world title shot that he knew he had to knock out his South Korean rival in their first encounter three years go. The two met in June 2022 at ONE 158 in Singapore, where 'Wonder Boy' knocked out 'Pretty Boy' in the opening round of their showdown.

He did it by way of a crushing kick to the body that sent his opponent immediately down to the canvas in pain, soon after which the fight was called to a halt. Andrade recalled what his mindset was in his first showdown against Kwon in a video feature he shared on his official Instagram profile ahead of their rematch later this month in Thailand.

He said:

"I remember that I was really angry that I had to fight him. And on the fight, I just really wanted to knock him out."

Following his KO victory over Kwon, Andrade was pitted against then bantamweight king John Lineker in October 2022. He was the only one eligible to win the belt after 'Hands of Stone' was stripped of the belt for missing weight in the lead-up. The title fight, however, ended in a no-contest after Lineker was accidentally hit in the groin midway and was unable to continue.

Fabricio Andrade, however, was not to be denied in their rematch in February 2023 as he tore down opponent for the vacant belt by way of TKO in the fourth round.

Fabricio Andrade defends bantamweight gold for the first time at ONE 170

Fabricio Andrade will defend the ONE bantamweight MMA world title for the first time on Jan. 24 at ONE 170 against a familiar foe in Kwon Won il. It will be a rematch, as their first encounter in June 2022, where the Brazilian star knocked out the South Korean in the first round.

Fabricio Andrade enters ONE 170 off a failed bid to add the bantamweight kickboxing world title to his haul in November 2023 after he was knocked out by former bantamweight Muay Thai king Jonathan Haggerty in their all-champion clash.

Kwon, meanwhile, is currently riding a three-fight winning streak, all by way of knockout, with the most recent in January 2024 over Shinechagtga Zoltsetseg of Mongolia.

ONE 170 will take place at the Impact Arena in Bangkok and will be aired live and for free at U.S. primetime to North American fans with an active Amazon Prime Video subscription.