“I was kinda holding my arms” – Fabricio Andrade says injury forced him to hold back his striking vs Jonathan Haggerty

Fabricio Andrade revealed that an injury played a role in his loss to Jonathan Haggerty.

Stepping into the iconic Lumpinee Boxing Stadium with an opportunity to claim a second ONE world title, ‘Wonder Boy’ came up short in his endeavor, suffering a nasty second-round knockout at the hands, or in this case, the feet of Haggerty.

Looking back on the bout during an exclusive interview with Sportskeeda MMA, Fabricio Andrade revealed that he stepped into the Mecca of Muay Thai with an injury that prevented him from letting his hands go in the early going.

“Because of the injury, I was kinda holding my arms so I could explode in the later rounds,” Andrade said. “But I wasn’t able to go to the later rounds because he was able to connect that high kick over the guard, which took me out of the fight.”

Though he fell short of claiming the ONE bantamweight kickboxing crown, Andrade is still sitting atop the bantamweight MMA throne as he enters 2024.

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After dispatching Fabricio Andrade, Jonathan Haggerty meets Brazilian standout Felipe Lobo on February 16

Following his impressive knockout of Fabricio Andrade, Jonathan Haggerty will return to Bangkok on February 16 to defend his Muay Thai title against Brazilian standout Felipe Lobo at ONE Fight Night 19 on Prime Video.

‘The General’ enters the bout riding an impressive five-fight win streak.

Lobo, who currently sits in the No.2-ranked slot in the divisional rankings, earned his opportunity with noteworthy victories against Saemapetch Fairtex and Rodlek PK Saenchai.

Who comes out on top when ‘The General’ faces the ‘Demolition Man’ in the art of eight limbs?

If you missed any of the action or want to relive an epic night in ONE Championship history, the ONE Fight Night 16: Haggerty vs. Andrade replay can be watched anytime on demand via Amazon Prime Video in North America.