Several contenders are lining up for a shot at Fabricio Andrade’s ONE bantamweight MMA world championship, but the divisional ruler believes there is only one man who deserves to punch his ticket to a five-round scrap.
‘Wonder Boy’ is still awaiting his first world title defense after forcing John Lineker to quit between rounds to claim ONE gold at ONE Fight Night 7 in February last year.
And while top-ranked ‘Hands of Stone’ and No.2-ranked Stephen Loman remain hot favorites, the 26-year-old is keen to run it back with South Korean knockout specialist Kwon Won Il.
Speaking to the South China Morning Post, Fabricio Andrade had this to say on a rematch with ‘Pretty Boy':
“He's a good guy to fight, you know, he brings the heat on. He talks a lot, and he's doing a good job with that, you know, and he's winning fights, you know. He finished guys and yeah, that's why he's a good contender.”
Watch the full interview here:
The Evolve MMA and Tiger Muay Thai star first crossed paths with Kwon at ONE 158 in June 2022, where the former acquired another highlight-reel finish with a mean body kick inside just 62 seconds of their contest.
His fifth consecutive victory in the bantamweight MMA division earned him a crack at the strap, and he has ruled over the division since.
“I’m going to kill you!” – Kwon hellbent on securing a shot at Fabricio Andrade’s crown
Like Fabricio Andrade, ‘Pretty Boy’ is more than ready to meet the Brazilian for redemption after falling short in their first meeting.
The 28-year-old has strengthened his position as the No.3-ranked contender with three successive wins, and he made his intentions known instantly after making quick work of Shinechagtga Zoltsetseg at ONE Fight Night 18 this past January.
He said:
“I want to face this other guy. Everybody knows it, right? Hey Fabricio ‘Chicken Dance’ Andrade. Where are you, motherfu**er? I’m going to kill you!”
North American fans with an active Amazon Prime Video subscription can relive all the action from ONE Fight Night 18 for free.