“Old injuries came back” – Fabricio Andrade admits he was physically compromised in showdown against Jonathan Haggerty

ONE bantamweight MMA world champion Fabricio Andrade vied to become a two-sport titleholder back in November but fell short in his push. He said old injuries in the lead-up weighed on him.

‘Wonder Boy’ battled ONE bantamweight Muay Thai king Jonathan Haggerty in an all-champion clash for the division’s vacant kickboxing world title. Unfortunately for him, he fell prey to the torrid striking of the ‘The General’ and was eventually knocked out in the second round of their title clash.

In a recent interview with Sportskeeda MMA, Fabricio Andrade opened up on what he had to go through prior to his showdown against Haggerty, and how it somehow affected him come fight night.

The 26-year-old Brazilian fighter said:

“Old injuries came back before that. I went to the doctors. I went to do a lot of things. But I still couldn’t fix it. But I still decided I wanted to fight. It’s an old mentality that we have in Brazil.”

Prior to his loss to Haggerty, Fabricio Andrade was on an impressive roll in ONE Championship, winning his first six fights since making his promotional debut in July 2020.

One of those victories netted him the ONE bantamweight MMA world title in February last year, when he stopped former world champion John Lineker by TKO.

While he lost to Haggerty, the Tiger Muay Thai standout said he would love to run it back with the British striker at some point in the future.

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Fabricio Andrade surveying the field in the bantamweight MMA division

After losing in his initial bid to become a two-sport ONE world champion, Fabricio Andrade is now surveying the field in the bantamweight MMA lane he rules, on the lookout for contenders who will try to make a go for his belt.

Among the things he is eyeing is the upcoming showdown between teammate and divisional contender Artem Belakh and veteran Mongolian Enkh-Orgil Baatarkhuu at ONE Fight Night 18 on Prime Video on January 12 in Bangkok, Thailand.

‘Wonder Boy’ said he sees it as going to be a competitive fight between two driven fighters, but is leaning on the side of Belakh for a number of reasons, including being the younger and fresher fighter.

Fabricio Andrade said in the same Sportskeeda MMA interview:

“I think this is a good fight for Artem, you know? He’s coming off a loss and an injury in his feet I think. And his opponent is a bit old, you know? He’s not in his prime anymore. Artem is still young. I think this is going to be a good fight for him. I think he’s going to be able to strike well, take it to the ground, and finish this fight.”

27-year-old Belakh is currently the No. 4 contender in the bantamweight MMA division while Baatarkhuu, 35, has been undefeated in three fights to date in ONE Championship.

ONE Fight Night 18 will take place at the Lumpinee Boxing Stadium and will air live in U.S. primetime free of charge for existing Prime Video subscribers in North America.