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ONE bantamweight MMA world champion Fabricio Andrade of Brazil wants in on the promotion’s confirmed return to Japan next year.
‘Wonder Boy’ teased a quick turnaround ahead of his upcoming world title defense this Friday, December 5, in the finale of ONE Fight Night 38 on Prime Video.
That night, Andrade will take on No.4-ranked contender Enkh-Orgil Baatarkhuu in a five-round battle inside ‘The Mecca of Muay Thai’ Lumpinee Stadium in Bangkok, Thailand.
While completely focused on the task at hand, Andrade made it clear that he’s looking forward to being part of the extravaganza at Ariake Arena, especially after the success of ONE 173 last November.
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The Tiger Muay Thai and Evolve MMA representative told the Bangkok Post’s Nick Atkin in his pre-event interview:
“Well, we have a date already for one of the next big shows that's going to happen next year. We just need to get the job done and maybe three, four months I'm going to be back in action.”
Meanwhile, Andrade has been vocal about his desire to compete in Japan multiple times. The 28-year-old is one of the promotion’s premier MMA superstars, and it makes sense to have him join the massive Tokyo event in 2026.
Watch the full interview:
Fabricio Andrade says more pure strikers should make the move to MMA
ONE bantamweight MMA world champion Fabricio Andrade had a decorated kickboxing background before transitioning full-time to MMA.
It was the same case for UFC light heavyweight champion Alex Pereira. According to 'Wonder Boy', they laid out the blueprint for success for other aspiring fighters.
The Brazilian knockout merchant told the South China Morning Post:
"That's true. I think that he made it possible, so more people should try. I see in the gym a lot of guys, even on the ONE Friday Fights. We got a lot of good fights happening in bantamweight, you know, and also a lot of guys in Tiger now."
Andrade defends his title at ONE Fight Night 38, streaming live in U.S. primetime on Prime Video for North American fans.
