ONE Fight Night 38 preview and prediction: Fabricio Andrade vs. Enkh-Orgil Baatarkhuu

ONE bantamweight MMA world champion Fabricio Andrade defends his 26 pounds of gold against fourth-ranked contender Enkh-Orgil Baatarkhuu in a clash that pits two warriors with different styles.

Their highly anticipated showdown will headline ONE Fight Night 38 inside the iconic Lumpinee Stadium in Bangkok, Thailand, this Friday, Dec. 5.

The 28-year-old Brazilian knockout machine has gone undefeated in the discipline under the ONE spotlight, building an eight-fight unbeaten streak including wins over Kwon Won Il, John Lineker, Jeremy Pacatiw, and Li Kai Wen.

That said, most of his triumphs have come against fellow striking specialists. So, up against Baatarkhuu, who thrives on his relentless ground game acumen, many wonder whether 'Wonder Boy' has enough in his arsenal to hang with the Mongolian veteran on the canvas.

'The Tormentor' punched his ticket to ONE gold off an impressive three-fight winning streak. The Team Tungaa and Shandas MMA powerhouse has tapped into his bread and butter in each and every one of his fights, with three submission victories in his last five promotional appearances.

Before they lock horns inside the Circle, here's our prediction for this bantamweight MMA world title war, which will be available for free to active Amazon Prime Video subscribers in the United States and Canada.

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Prediction: Fabricio Andrade to beat Baatarkhuu via knockout in Round 3

Fabricio Andrade will do what he does best at ONE Fight Night 38: deliver another knockout win.

But, more importantly, he'll silence doubters who question his grappling abilities against elite ground game wizards.

Baatarkhuu will swarm the defending king with takedowns in Round 1, looking to establish dominance and wear down the Brazilian on the canvas. Make no mistake – this tactic should work initially, but the Mongolian will be in for a surprise.

'Wonder Boy' knows how to survive dangerous positions. Fabricio Andrade has trained with Brazil and Dagestan's top grapplers at Sao Paulo's Fighting Nerds and Phuket's Tiger Muay Thai.

As such, it won't take the Brazilian long to bring action back to the feet, where he'll wrap up the opening five minutes with supreme clinch work while throwing combinations at the challenger.

Round 2 should see the 36-year-old Baatarkhuu continue hunting for takedowns, but Fabricio Andrade will have read his game by then, staying one step ahead and possibly landing his trademark knee when the challenger shoots for a single or double-leg.

Baatarkhuu's heart, however, will help him survive the second canto. That said, the 28-year-old Andrade should be able to smell blood in the water when the third stanza takes off.

He will break down the No.4-ranked contender with his usual combinations, and just as the challenger defends against Andrade's hands, possibly by shooting for another desperate takedown, the divisional king could catch him with a knee to the jaw that ends the fight and proves why he's the best bantamweight in the world right now.