Brazil’s Fabricio Andrade defends his ONE Bantamweight MMA World Title against #4-ranked Enkh-Orgil Baatarkhuu at ONE Fight Night 38 on Friday, December 5, inside Impact Arena in Bangkok, Thailand. The 28-year-old Fortaleza native brings a perfect promotional record built on electric finishes, systematic destruction, and steady evolution that carried him from promising newcomer to undisputed ruler.
Andrade announced his arrival at ONE: NO SURRENDER in July 2020 against fellow knockout artist Mark Abelardo. The Brazilian bloodied the Filipino-Kiwi veteran with lightning-fast straight punches before showcasing his ground game in round two. When Abelardo lunged for a desperate takedown, Andrade defended smoothly, took his back, and choked him unconscious in seconds. The bantamweight division was officially on notice.
Eight months later, he faced streaking Japanese star Shoko Sato at ONE: UNBREAKABLE III. Sato carried a six-fight winning streak and more than 45 professional bouts into their February 2021 clash. The #2-ranked contender represented a serious step up in competition. Andrade handled him with relative ease, showing savvy mat defense while dominating the standup exchanges. Vicious elbows in the clinch opened a cut on Sato’s head, leaving him battered before the judges awarded Andrade a clear-cut unanimous decision.
The finishes resumed at ONE: WINTER WARRIORS II in December 2021. Chinese finisher Li Kai Wen had stopped his previous four opponents, but Andrade’s confidence never wavered. A piston-like jab set up a clean knee to the body that signaled the beginning of the end. More knees followed before a left high kick and flurry of punches sent Li crashing to the mat in under five minutes.
Fabricio Andrade destroys path to title shot with consecutive stoppages
The Brazilian proved his worthiness at ONE: FULL CIRCLE in February 2022 against rising Filipino sanda specialist Jeremy Pacatiw. Their matchup was expected to be closely contested. Andrade barely broke a sweat instead, catching Pacatiw lunging forward and dispatching him with a devastating knee to the liver in less than two minutes. The finish became one of his signature highlights.
Four months later at ONE 158, Fabricio Andrade needed just over a minute to demolish #2-ranked Kwon Won Il. Fighting from the southpaw stance, he landed a thunderous left kick to Kwon’s body that sent the South Korean to the floor screaming in agony. The perfect display of diverse striking repertoire set up the biggest opportunity of his career.
The first World Title opportunity at ONE on Prime Video 3 ended in frustrating fashion. Former champion John Lineker was stripped for missing weight, making Andrade the only man eligible to win the vacant gold. The young contender took charge immediately, repeatedly finding Lineker’s chin with sharp jabs and straight punches. In round three, an inadvertent low blow shattered Lineker’s cup and forced a no-contest. Andrade had shown he could handle the former champion, but the belt remained unclaimed.
The rematch at ONE Fight Night 7 four months later left no doubt. Andrade’s cleaner boxing and relentless volume steadily took over as he split Lineker’s guard with straight punches and targeted his body with punishing kicks. Late in round four, precise punches opened a deep cut above Lineker’s eye. His corner stopped the fight between rounds, crowning Andrade as undisputed ONE Bantamweight MMA World Champion.
His first title defense at ONE 170 in January proved even more devastating. Facing Kwon for the second time, Andrade adjusted brilliantly. After feinting the body kick that ended their first encounter, he slipped inside a counter and buried a perfectly timed left hook into Kwon’s liver. The South Korean crumpled just 42 seconds into the contest, the fastest finish of Andrade’s career and a brutal reminder of why he’s become one of the sport’s most feared champions.
