‘I’m Going To Finish The Fight’ – Fabricio Andrade Expects To Dominate Kwon Won Il In World Title Rematch

Fabricio Andrade lands a jab flush on Kwon Won II at ONE 158

On January 24 at ONE 170, reigning ONE Bantamweight MMA World Champion Fabricio “Wonder Boy” Andrade will make his much-anticipated return to action when he puts his gold on the line against former foe “Pretty Boy” Kwon Won Il.

Set go down at Bangkok’s Impact Arena, that World Title showdown will mark the Brazilian’s first defense of his belt and the second meeting between these hard-hitting stars.

In their first encounter at ONE 158 in 2022, Andrade landed a rib-crunching body kick early in the first round to secure the knockout win. He’s supremely confident that he can achieve the same outcome in the rematch.

Undefeated across his seven MMA fights in ONE and widely recognized among the sport’s most well-rounded athletes, “Wonder Boy” told onefc.com that he’s simply levels above the South Korean in all aspects of combat:

“I have a better fighting IQ. I can use my distance better, and I have a bigger arsenal than him. I can use elbows and kicks, and he’s a guy who’s more limited to boxing.

“I’m more complete in striking, and I’m sure I’m better than him on the ground. So, overall, I’m a better MMA athlete than him.”

For his part, Kwon has rattled off three consecutive stoppage victories since losing to Andrade, earning the #3 spot in the talent-packed bantamweight MMA rankings.

Despite those impressive performances, the titleholder said that he’s seen little evolution from “Pretty Boy” over the past couple of years. In fact, Andrade is quite critical of Kwon, who he believes lacks elite fight IQ and a high-level ground game:

“What I see in his game is the same as I saw the first time I faced him. He’s a guy who doesn’t know how to use the good wingspan he has. He faces smaller athletes and always moves forward, so he doesn’t have good distance control and doesn’t use his wingspan well.

“I have good distance control, and I can use that to my advantage to land strikes without him being able to counter-attack.

“And, my ground game is better than his, so at any time, I can take this fight to the ground, and I’m sure I can finish him. That’s another weapon I can use against him.”

Andrade’s prediction for his first World Title defense is simple: he’ll finish the fight inside the distance.

Whether he scores another quick knockout or picks up his third career submission victory, he intends to remind fans that he’s one of MMA’s most ruthless competitors and leave Bangkok with his 26 pounds of gold safely in tow.

“Wonder Boy” added:

“I’m going to finish the fight, no matter what round. I’m going to look for the knockout all the time, and if I have the opportunity, I’m going to knock him out.

“But if I also have the opportunity to take him down and take this fight to the ground, I’m going to submit him. So, my prediction is that I’ll win by submission or knockout. This fight won’t go to the judges’ decision.”

Andrade Prepared For More Trash Talk From Kwon

Even though his first matchup against Kwon Won Il was a short one, Fabricio Andrade certainly hasn’t forgotten about some of the South Korean’s pre-fight antics.

In the buildup to that bout, both fighters traded barbs on social media and in the press. The bantamweight MMA king expects more of the same ahead of the rematch:

“He’s a guy who likes to talk a lot, who likes to provoke. That was something he did in our first fight, and I’m expecting him to do it again. But I’m mentally prepared for it, and I think all this trash talk just shows that he’s not confident.”

Whatever “Pretty Boy” might say in the weeks leading up to ONE 170, Andrade won’t let it shake his confidence.

When the Circle Door closes on January 24, he plans to shut his rival’s mouth once and for all:

“He knows I’m dangerous, that I can knock him out at any moment. So, I think he should be more respectful. But in the fight, I will show that I am better than him. I know how to beat him, and I will knock him out or submit him.”

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