“You guys will see” - Bantamweight MMA king Fabricio Andrade plans to unleash new arsenal in world title defense at ONE 170

Fabricio Andrade has something up his sleeve when he defends his throne against familiar foe Kwon Won Il.

The reigning ONE bantamweight MMA world champion will defend his crown against Kwon in the co-main event of the stacked ONE 170 card on Friday, Jan. 24, at Impact Arena.

In an exclusive interview with Sportskeeda MMA, Andrade said his time away due to injuries allowed him to develop his game further and he's ready to unleash his new magic against the South Korean knockout menace.

Fabricio Andrade said:

"I also want to try a lot of new things that I’ve been working on. I wouldn’t say it’s a surprise but you guys will see."

Andrade is one of the most electrifying fighters on the planet, with his Muay Thai base producing absolute wonders inside the circle.

Although he's a natural striker, Andrade started his ONE Championship tenure with a submission when he forced Mark Abelardo to tap to a rear-naked choke in his promotional debut at ONE: No Surrender.

Andrade then settled for a unanimous decision win over Shoko Sato before racking up four straight knockout wins against Li Kai Wen, Jeremy Pacatiw, Kwon, and finally John Lineker for the vacant ONE bantamweight MMA world title at ONE Fight Night 7.

The past year, however, wasn't too kind to Andrade.

'Wonder Boy' was nursing multiple injuries in 2023 and had to sit out the entire 2024 to recover.

Nevertheless, Andrade is back to his full form and determined to defend his throne against Kwon in Bangkok.

ONE 170 is available at watch.onefc.com.

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Fabricio Andrade says his grappling will be key in setting up his terrifying striking game

Fabricio Andrade already knocked Kwon Won Il out in their first meeting at ONE 158, but he wants to take a different path to achieve the same result at ONE 170.

In the same interview with Sportskeeda MMA, Andrade said he wants to use his improved grappling to throw Kwon off his game before landing that highlight reel haymaker:

"I believe it won't be easy to knock him out again. But that is why I intend to show my grappling in this fight. I think I will have to rely on that before going back for the knockout."