"I want to challenge myself" - Fabricio Andrey calls out Kade Ruotolo for lightweight title match

Fabricio Andrey has his sights set on the biggest challenge in submission grappling, and he's calling out one of the sport's most dominant world champions.

'Hokage' secured a unanimous decision victory over Eduardo Granzotto in their submission grappling bout at ONE Fight Night 36 last Friday, October 3, in Bangkok, Thailand, bouncing back to even their rivalry at 1-1.

Following the win, the 25-year-old Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt spoke with combat sports journalist Nick Atkin backstage. Andrey revealed his desire to test himself against ONE lightweight submission grappling world champion Kade Ruotolo.

"Next, I want to challenge myself. I like to fight with the big names—maybe Kade Ruotolo at 77 kilos. If he wants, I'm here. Let's do it," Fabricio Andrey said.

The Manaus native acknowledged that moving up to lightweight would also help him avoid issues with managing his weight while staying at the right hydration limit, something which haunted him during last week's show.

"Yeah, I need to check this too. I made 66 [kilos]. It's not a problem for me to make the weight. It was my first time failing the test, you know? So we're going to train this more, study more, and come back stronger," he added.

Watch Fabricio Andrey's full interview with Atkin here:

A matchup between Andrey and Ruotolo would represent a dream clash between two elite BJJ black belts, with the American phenom holding the lightweight world title and the Brazilian contender eager to prove himself against elite competition.

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Fabricio Andrey reveals he was sick leading up to Granzotto rematch

Just a day after he took his promotional slate to 2-0 in Bangkok, Fabricio Andrey penned a lengthy message on his official Instagram account (@fabricioandreyjj) and revealed that he arrived for his fight under the weather.

However, the BJJ black belt took the opportunity to remind fans that no matter what obstacle life throws at you, it is always important to stay focused on the goal.

Part of his caption, translated from Portuguese, read:

"As soon as I arrived for my commitment in Thailand, I was unlucky enough to get sick and not recover until the day of the fight, as expected."

"The lesson I want to leave you with is: Learn to deal with the frustration of the unpredictable. Staying calm and recalculating your path is important to stay in the game even with limitations."

North American fans who missed any of the action from ONE Fight Night 36: Prajanchai vs. Di Bella II can watch the replay on Amazon Prime Video.