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Confidence is something that upcoming ONE bantamweight world title challenger Fabricio Andrade is not short on, as he claims to be the best pound-for-pound fighter in all of ONE Championship.
The talented young Brazilian will get a chance to prove it when he takes on the division’s king, John ‘Hands of Stone’ Lineker, in the co-main event of ONE on Prime Video 3 at US primetime in October 21.
The event will mark the promotion’s return to the Axiata Arena in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia for the first time since December 2019.
In an interview with ONE Championship, ‘Wonderboy’ claimed that no one has done what he has this early in his run in the promotion.
“I believe the best MMA fighter in the ONE Championship right now is me. And the best striker too. Nobody did what I’ve been doing. Three first-round knockouts, making tough fights look easy.”
With a total of 10 professional MMA fights to his name, Fabricio Andrade is yet to be defeated in five outings in the circle and has finished four of his five opponents on his way to his world title opportunity. He believes that it is enough proof that he is a cut above the rest of the field.
“No one has done this so far in the ONE Championship, so it proves that I am on a different level than every other athlete. And not just in my division, but I’m on a different level if we look at all the divisions in the ONE Championship.”
Fabricio Andrade earns high praise from Demetrious Johnson
While Fabricio Andrade’s proclamations may seem premature to some, he is no doubt one of the most exciting fighters in the promotion.
He backs his brash talk with his undeniable skills, and his last three opponents were his unfortunate victims. Newly-crowned ONE flyweight world champion Demetrious Johnson has been watching the rise of the 24-year-old phenom and admitted that he’s become somewhat of a fan.
“I really like Andrade. I really, really do. I think it’s the way he comes out and fights. He pushes the pace, he takes risks. I think that fight against John Lineker is going to be a great fight.”
A legend of the fight game, Johnson certainly sees the potential of Fabricio Andrade to become a force to reckon with in the circle - with or without agreeing to his claim of being the best pound-for-pound fighter in the promotion.
