Fabricio Andrade is entering ONE on Prime Video 3 as a supremely confident challenger. The 25-year-old title challenger will try to dethrone ONE Championship’s latest bantamweight king, John Lineker, in the main event on October 21. And why wouldn’t he be confident while riding a seven-bout win streak with three straight first-round knockouts?
Andrade has been calling for his shot at the cream of the crop for months. Now that he has Lineker lined up for his return bout inside the Circle, “Wonder Boy” is adamant that fans will see the difference between the two leather-slinging bantamweights. For Andrade, the difference lies in his ability to mix up his techniques.
“I believe he is an average seven [out of 10]. Most are in this average, a few manage to reach eight, nine, and 10 when we talk about striking. I believe that I’ve managed to overcome this average, and that’s why I believe I’m on another level. Not that Lineker has bad striking, but he’s average, and I’m above average,” Andrade told ONE.
“The biggest difference is the variety I bring to a fight. I use my boxing, I kick, I use the elbows, the knee. So, the diversity of weapons I bring to the fight will be the biggest difference between my striking and his.”
“Wonder Boy” also sees the opportunity to shine in front of the American audience with Prime Video airing the action from Kuala Lumpur live in U.S. primetime. While Andrade notes that Lineker’s durability has allowed him to get this far, he plans to shut off his lights in the first round. It is a bold prediction that would earn him his flowers in front of a captive domestic audience.
“Lineker already has a name in America. So, when I fight him and knock him out in the first round – which no one has done yet – the American audience will see the difference in my level compared to all these fighters,” said “Wonder Boy.”
The dynamic Brazilian is ready for his shot at the ONE Bantamweight World Championship. Andrade knows that he was not given this opportunity because of his charismatic personality or social media rumblings. He earned his shot at the gold through incredible performances that have even caught the attention of Demetrious Johnson.
“I won this chance to fight for the belt. Nobody gave it to me. Due to my performances, [Lineker] had the opportunity to speak up and say that he wanted to face me, but even after I finished three contenders in the first round, he didn’t say that I was the number-one contender to fight for the belt,” said Andrade.
“So it just goes to show that he tried to avoid this fight by all means. Now he’s practically being forced to fight me, and that doesn’t change the fact that he tried to run and avoid this fight with me.”
Andrade’s chance to become a world champion at ONE on Prime Video 3 airs live at 8 p.m. EST/5 p.m. PST on Friday, October 21.
