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Russian contender Artem Belakh knows that if he hopes to one day hoist ONE Championship gold over his head, he will likely have to go through his Tiger Muay Thai teammate, Fabricio Andrade.
Belakh is coming off a big win under the ONE banner, securing a second-round knockout against Mongolian standout Enkh-Orgil Baatarkhuu at the promotion’s inaugural Fight Night of 2024, ONE Fight Night 18.
It was his second career win inside the Circle and has placed Belakh firmly in the No.4-ranked spot in the bantamweight MMA rankings.
Artem Belakh’s stablemate, Andrade currently sits atop the divisional throne as the reigning ONE bantamweight MMA world champion.
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Speaking with the South China Morning Post, Belakh confirmed that he is open to fighting ‘Wonder Boy’ if it means scoring his first ONE world title opportunity.
“If in the future, he will have the belt, I can fight him,” Belakh said. “It's my goal. It doesn't matter who will have the belt. I have a big goal in this division. I need to beat everybody.”
Could we see Fabricio Andrade vs. Artem Belakh in 2024?
Fabricio Andrade has yet to defend the ONE bantamweight MMA title since earning it by way of a fourth-round TKO against former champion John Lineker in February 2023.
In November, ‘Wonder Boy’ attempted to claim a second ONE world title, challenging Jonathan Haggerty for the vacant bantamweight kickboxing crown.
Andrade came up short in his attempt at two-division glory, but it’s a dream he has no intentions of giving up on. However, ‘Wonder Boy’ will now turn his attention toward defending the title he does have before seeking another 26 pounds of gold.
Are you interested in seeing Andrade put his title on the line against rising contender Artem Belakh in 2024?
If you missed any of the action or want to relive an epic night in ONE Championship history, the ONE Fight Night 18: Gasanov vs. Oh replay can be watched anytime on demand via Amazon Prime Video in North America.
