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Top bantamweight contender Fabricio Andrade is gearing up for his highly anticipated rematch with John Lineker. Ahead of it, the Brazilian phenom has admitted that he put too much pressure on himself prior to their first meeting.
Despite the added self-induced pressure, Fabricio Andrade put forth a masterclass in his first world title bout with Lineker at ONE Fight Night 3 on Prime Video. 'Wonder Boy' appeared to be nearing a finish that would've crowned him champion, but an unintentional groin strike halted that dream for the time being.
Luckily, he'll get another opportunity in the rematch at ONE Fight Night 7.
In the lead-up to the bantamweight world title rematch, Andrade revealed the added pressure he put on himself the first time around. He told ONE:
“In general, just for the fight, I was a bit stressed, you know. I put a lot of pressure on myself and the whole camp was like, so much. It was a very tough camp because, you know, I was getting ready to fight him as soon as I finished my fight against Kwon [Won Il]."
The 25-year-old added:
"So I finished the fight, I went straight to the gym, I started to get ready for him [Lineker] because I knew that I was next in line. That was a long camp and was very stressful.”
Stephen Loman says Fabricio Andrade is "a problem" for John Lineker ahead of rematch
No. 3-ranked bantamweight contender Stephen Loman hasn't had the chance to face Andrade or Lineker, but he's taking a firm stance on who will bring home the belt.
He told The MMA Superfan:
“As for Andrade, I think that he really is a KO artist. He uses his striking a lot, his kicks, knees, and his pressure against Lineker was tremendous as well. He has these quick and beautiful combinations as well. I think that’s Andrade’s advantage. He’s a problem for John Lineker.”
Fabricio Andrade proved to be a problem for 'Hands of Stone' when they first faced off last October. The rising star forced the former champ to abandon striking and attempt to wrestle after struggling on the feet.
Be sure to tune in to ONE Fight Night 7 on February 24 to watch Fabricio Andrade and John Lineker rematch one another for the bantamweight world title, live from Lumpinee Boxing Stadium.
Check out Stephen Loman's full conversation with The MMA Superfan below:
