Fabricio Andrade says training alongside elite athletes is a huge boost: “It makes me believe in myself more”

ONE bantamweight mixed martial arts world champion Fabricio Andrade said his decision to train with the elite athletes at Tiger Muay Thai in Phuket did a lot for him as a fighter, especially in enhancing his self-belief.

‘Wonder Boy’ shared his journey to becoming a world champion with FightWave in an interview. The Brazilian highlighted how training alongside top fighters in the famous Thai gym has served as a motivation for him to tap into his true potential and be the best fighter possible.

Fabricio Andrade, 26, said:

“Man, I think this has been a big motivation for me. To be able to train with people like that because when I first came to Tiger Muay Thai about five or six years ago. I was like nobody knew me. I was just, I knew the guys. But to come here and see Petr Yan, [Alexander] Volkanovski, all those guys on the mat and have the opportunity to train with those guys, that was like, that was my motivation. It makes me believe in myself more. Because if you can test yourself against people like that, it means I can make it as well.”

Check out what he said in the video below:

It is at Tiger Muay Thai where Fabricio Andrade will be coming from when he vies for the vacant ONE bantamweight kickboxing world title at ONE Fight Night 16 on Prime Video on November 3 in Bangkok.

He will be going up against the division’s Muay Thai titleholder, Jonathan Haggerty of the United Kingdom, in a champion-versus-champion clash. It will serve as the headlining contest for the event taking place at the Lumpinee Boxing Stadium.

Fabricio Andrade touts that he is coming in well prepared for his upcoming fight, getting all the help needed from his team to see his goal of becoming a two-sport ONE world champion through.

Out to frustrate him is Jonathan Haggerty, himself on a quest to simultaneously hold two world titles in different combat sports. He was last in action in April, when he knocked out longtime bantamweight Muay Thai world champion Nong-O Hama in the opening round to become the new sheriff in the division.

ONE Fight Night 16 will air live in U.S. primetime, free of charge for existing Prime Video subscribers in the United States and Canada.