‘My Little Brother’ – Fabricio Andrey Details Unbreakable Friendship With Diogo Reis
Long before they became two of the most dynamic athletes on the planet, Fabricio “Hokage” Andrey and reigning ONE Flyweight Submission Grappling World Champion Diogo “Baby Shark” Reis shared a much simpler beginning.
As kids, they survived the sweltering heat of Manaus’s grappling rooms together, forging a brotherhood anchored in shared sacrifice.
Andrey will now look to extend his flawless 3-0 promotional run against British standout Owen Jones at ONE Fight Night 44 on Prime Video. The 10-minute featherweight submission grappling clash goes down on Friday, June 26, in U.S. primetime from Lumpinee Stadium in Bangkok, Thailand.
Ahead of his highly anticipated return, the 26-year-old took time to reflect on the childhood friend who shared his wildest martial arts dreams.
The pair ascended through the colored belt ranks side-by-side. While they have since taken different paths, with Andrey joining Alliance and Reis forming Agora Jiu-Jitsu, their familial connection remains completely untouched.
Despite being only two years older, Andrey naturally stepped into a protective role, looking out for Reis long after their exhausting daily classes wrapped up.
“Hokage” recalled:
“[He is] my friend. Diogo is my brother, my little brother. I used to take him back to his home after training when he was a child. So we’re very good friends, and we still talk to each other on a regular basis.”
As their camaraderie deepened, their time on the mats became a daily exercise in iron sharpening iron. They developed into the ultimate stylistic yin-yang, pushing each other to evolve by solving vastly different puzzles.
Andrey forged a relentlessly aggressive style that willingly trades positional safety for a highlight-reel finish. Reis, by contrast, relies on meticulous brilliance to shut down attacks before they ever materialize.
He deeply admires that cerebral mindset and constantly uses it to evolve his own game:
“The main difference between Diogo and me is that, even though both of us are very good at jiu-jitsu, I’m more on the flow side. I’m just going forward and trying to submit, and I don’t strategize too much. And sometimes I lose fights because of a lack of strategy.
“Diogo, on the other hand, is not as much in the flow mood, but he’s always thinking ahead on strategy and making the best decisions, always looking for flaws on the opponent’s side. And I learn a lot from him.”
The two friends now compete under different banners, but distance has done nothing to diminish what they built together.
Andrey still leans on his friend’s analytical mind and still finds ways to sharpen himself through the person who knows his game better than anyone.
He stated:
“Every session with him is good because I’m learning a lot from him about jiu-jitsu, especially the competitive [side]. He’s really good at learning the rules and the strategy. And I’m learning strategy and the rules from him.”
The Ultimate Test Of A Lifelong Friendship
For Fabricio Andrey, watching Diogo Reis draped in 26 pounds of gold is the ultimate validation of everything they experienced together during their formative years.
The proud older brother in him has tracked every moment of Reis’ rise. “Baby Shark” recently extended his own 3-0 ONE Championship record, outclassing Yuki Takahashi at ONE Fight Night 43.
Given the countless hours they spent refining their techniques, Andrey is not the least bit surprised by his lifelong friend’s global success:
“He’s had amazing performances. He dominated all the opponents he’s fought in ONE Championship. He displayed very good jiu-jitsu and dominated all the time. He controlled his opponents and even submitted [Shoya Ishiguro].”
While their bond is unbreakable, both men understand that competition demands its own code. They faced that reality at the 2022 ADCC World Championships, clashing through a grueling quarterfinal before Reis went on to claim the title.
With the flyweight king now chasing two-division glory at a heavier weight class, the intrigue surrounding a potential rematch continues to grow.
Andrey feels zero hesitation about the possibility. He believes that facing his closest confidant on the grandest platform would be the ultimate tribute to their shared journey.
“Hokage” declared:
“Of course! Of course I’ll fight my friend. Show me the money. This is not a problem for us. We fight a lot in training, and we fought in the ADCC Worlds. So in ONE Championship, the biggest stage, that would be amazing for me and for him too.”
