Fabricio Andrade is ready for his huge return to ONE Championship on Friday, January 24. At ONE 170, the ONE Bantamweight MMA World Champion puts the gold on the line against Kwon Won Il in a rematch of their short-lived 2022 encounter. In his first defense of the gold, Andrade is hoping to re-establish himself and affirm his seat on the throne.
Fabricio Andrade Gets Healthy After Haggerty Defeat
Following his title win, the Brazilian attempted to become a two-sport World Champion by winning kickboxing gold against Jonathan Haggerty. After losing to the Brit, Fabricio Andrade returned home to rehab nagging injuries and got back to training in all facets of MMA. The 27-year-old is healthy and feeling more prepared than ever before.
“Regarding fighting, I focused a lot on grappling training. Since my last fight was a kickboxing fight, I spent a long time without training grappling. So, after I started training again, I started focusing a lot on jiu-jitsu and wrestling. But I always tried to improve my striking as well,” Fabricio Andrade told ONE.
In their previous matchup, Andrade finished Kwon in just 62 seconds to secure a title shot. “Wonder Boy” executed his game plan perfectly for a quick win the first time, but does not expect the prior result to change Kwon’s confidence heading into the title tilt at ONE 170. The Brazilian wants to score another emphatic finish to keep his budding rival silent.
Fabricio Andrade on Kwon Won Il
“He’s a guy who likes to talk a lot, who likes to provoke. That was something he did in our first fight and I’m expecting him to do it again. But I’m mentally prepared for it and I think all this trash talk just shows that he’s not confident. He knows I’m dangerous, that I can knock him out at any moment. So, I think he should be more respectful. But in the fight, I will show that I am better than him. I know how to beat him, and I will knock him out or submit him,” Andrade stated.
ONE 170 is SOLD OUT 🙌 Thank you to the world's greatest fans! Don't miss a second of the action on January 24 at 6:30PM ICT/6:30AM ET!
#ONE170 | Jan 24 at 6.30PM ICT/6.30AM ET
🌎 Live TV broadcast in 190+ countries (check local listings)
🌎 Also available on ONE YouTube… pic.twitter.com/9dYpPxMPgE— ONE Championship (@ONEChampionship) January 16, 2025
Fabricio Andrade Goes Into Film Room
Defending champions can oftentimes rest on their laurels, but Fabricio Andrade is more motivated than ever thanks to his kickboxing loss to Haggerty. The 27-year-old is rejuvenated to be defending his MMA crown and wants to have his best performance to date. After breaking down “Pretty Boy’s” recent outings, Fabricio Andrade is as confident as ever that he can dominate the action wherever it goes.
“What I see in his game is the same as I saw the first time I faced him. He’s a guy who doesn’t know how to use the good wingspan he has. He faces smaller athletes and always moves forward, so he doesn’t have good distance control and doesn’t use his wingspan well. I have good distance control, and I can use that to my advantage to land strikes without him being able to counterattack. And my ground game is better than his, so at any time I can take this fight to the ground, and I’m sure I can finish him. That’s another weapon I can use against him,” the bantamweight king mentioned.
Andrade does not predict an exact finish or exact time, but he assures his fans that he will be gunning to end the bout early. If he needs to take Kwon to the mat and submit him, he will attack it. Andrade wants to make sure the judges are not needed as he attempts to retain the ONE Bantamweight MMA World Title.
“I’m going to finish the fight, no matter what round. I’m going to look for the knockout all the time, and if I have the opportunity, I’m going to knock him out. But if I also have the opportunity to take him down and take this fight to the ground, I’m going to submit him. So, my prediction is that I’ll win by submission or knockout. This fight won’t go to the judges’ decision,” Fabricio Andrade said.
ONE 170 airs live on Friday, January 24. The action emanates from Impact Arena in Bangkok, Thailand. Stay tuned for more news at MMASucka.com.
