Fabricio Andrade ran his way through the ONE Championship bantamweight division before getting his crack at the gold. In a triumphant bid, he bested John Lineker to become the ONE Bantamweight MMA World Champion. At ONE Fight Night 16, he will attempt to add a second title over his other shoulder.
In Bangkok, Thailand, Andrade will meet ONE Bantamweight Muay Thai World Champion Jonathan Haggerty for the vacant ONE Bantamweight Kickboxing World Title. The champion vs. champion meeting will headline the action on Friday, November 3. And “Wonder Boy” believes he will have the advantage due to the rule set.
“I think I’m more used to the rules of kickboxing. I haven’t fought kickboxing for a long time, but I train constantly. So, I believe I will have an advantage because of that,” Andrade told ONE.
Although he is the MMA king of ONE, Andrade’s background is in kickboxing. Prior to joining the organization in 2020, “Wonder Boy” was enjoying a three-bout winning streak. His outstanding track record has him primed for a return to the sport in epic fashion.
But Haggerty is in prime form. The former flyweight king moved up in weight and demolished the legendary Nong-O Hama to capture the Muay Thai crown. The Brit has been more active in the striking arts and may enter as the decided favorite because of his activity.
“It’s going to be a very difficult fight for him. Haggerty has never done kickboxing, so he’s not used to the rules. People say he has the advantage because I’m drastically changing sports from MMA to kickboxing, something nobody wants to do, but I think it’s going to be much more difficult for him,” Andrade stated.
Although Haggerty has already upset Nong-O, the Brazilian still believes that size will play a role in this matchup. The Tiger Muay Thai star is banking on his power to be a difference-maker in this title tilt. If true, “Wonder Boy” will inch closer to becoming a two-sport champion.
“Haggerty was knocked out by Rodtang, and that defeat was in a division below. As we are a category above, there will be a big difference in power in the strikes. And I believe that I have much more punching power than the guys in the lower division. So, Haggerty will really feel the power of my punches in this weight division,” the ONE Bantamweight MMA World Champion said.
The 26-year-old has never lacked confidence. The brash Brazilian continues that into ONE Fight Night 16, where he feels he is the better striker, especially when removing elbows from the equation. While giving Haggerty props, Andrade is ready to show out in another U.S. primetime main event.
“He is a very technical fighter, and that is one of his strengths. He works well on his opponent’s mistakes. But I believe the strong point of his [Muay Thai] game is his feints to land his elbows. But, as it will be a kickboxing fight, he won’t be able to use elbows.”
ONE Fight Night 16 airs live on Friday, November 3. The action begins at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT on Prime Video. The event is free for all Amazon Prime subscribers based in the U.S. and Canada.
