Kwon Won Il To Challenge Fabricio Andrade For ONE Bantamweight MMA World Title At ONE 170
The undisputed ONE Bantamweight MMA World Championship will be on the line at ONE 170 on Friday, January 24.
That night, reigning divisional king Fabricio “Wonder Boy” Andrade will defend his gold against surging South Korean knockout artist “Pretty Boy” Kwon Won Il in a rematch of the pair’s June 2022 clash.
The bout, which broadcasts live in Asia primetime from Bangkok’s Impact Arena, will join a stacked lineup topped by two Muay Thai World Title showdowns.
Widely regarded as one of MMA’s most dynamic and entertaining fighters, Andrade rattled off seven consecutive wins – including a spectacular 62-second knockout victory over Kwon – to earn a crack at the divisional throne in October 2022.
An accidental knee to former divisional king John Lineker‘s groin rendered their ONE Bantamweight MMA World Championship battle a no contest, but “Wonder Boy” would knock out his legendary compatriot in their World Title rematch to claim the vacant belt four months later.
The 27-year-old Brazilian would then take his shot at two-sport glory, as he went toe-to-toe with British superstar Jonathan “The General” Haggerty for the vacant ONE Bantamweight Kickboxing World Title in November 2023. Though “Wonder Boy” came up short, he proved that he had the elite stand-up chops to hang with one of the planet’s best pure strikers.
Now, Andrade will make his highly anticipated return to the all-encompassing sport and defend his gold against a familiar foe.
With his crisp boxing, show-stopping power, and crafty footwork, Kwon is a delight to watch.
“Pretty Boy” boasts an incredible 100 percent finishing rate across his nine victories in the world’s largest martial arts organization, and he will enter this ONE Bantamweight MMA World Title contest on the strength of a three-bout winning streak.
The South Korean’s last defeat came at the hands of Andrade in June 2022. In that battle, the Brazilian put Kwon down early with a soul-stealing body shot, leaving many fans to wonder how the fight would have played out if it had reached the second or third rounds.
Since then, “Pretty Boy” knocked out battle-hardened veteran Mark Abelardo, #4-ranked contender Artem Belakh, and Mongolian bad boy Shinechagtga Zoltsetseg to earn the #3 spot in the bantamweight MMA rankings.
That run of form has led to the rematch at ONE 170, and it promises white-knuckle action for as long as it lasts.
Stay tuned to onefc.com for more news about ONE 170.
