‘I Needed To Fight Fire With Fire’ – Fabricio Andrade Recaps Quick Knockout Of Kwon Won Il At ONE 170
Fabricio “Wonder Boy” Andrade solidified himself as the best bantamweight mixed martial artist on the planet today at ONE 170,
On January 24, the Brazilian superstar needed just 42 seconds to flatline South Korea’s “Pretty Boy” Kwon Won Il and retain his ONE Bantamweight MMA World Title via TKO at the sold-out Impact Arena in Bangkok, Thailand.
That spectacularly dominant performance marked the second time Andrade has finished the dangerous Kwon, who came into the bout riding an impressive three-fight knockout streak.
While “Wonder Boy” is undeniably one of MMA’s most prolific finishers, he admitted that he didn’t expect the stoppage to come so quickly.
After the fight, he explained that he was surprised by his foe’s aggressive, forward-moving game plan – a tactic that played right into his hands:
“I thought he was going to shoot for the takedown. I didn’t expect him to strike and come forward. I thought he would strike going backward and then shoot for takedowns.
“But when I saw that he came to fight, I needed to fight fire with fire.”
“Pretty Boy’s” willingness to engage in a firefight ultimately proved to be his undoing.
With the win, the titleholder remained undefeated in ONE MMA bouts, having finished all but one of his opponents inside the distance.
Moving forward, Andrade hopes to be an active World Champion in 2025 and feels ready for any and all contenders:
“I think I still have a lot of room for improvement. I think I am not my best yet. I want to defend my belt at least three times more this year, and whoever ONE Championship wants me to fight, I will fight.”
Andrade’s starching of Kwon not only elevated his status as a pound-for-pound star but also earned him a US$50,000 performance bonus.
For the Brazilian fighter who grew up in abject poverty, the bonus money – as well as the massive opportunities that come along with being a ONE World Champion – is a dream come true.
He explained:
“I just want to thank you so much, Chatri and ONE Championship. Man, I came from nothing. I really came from nothing. Anybody who knows my history, knows my background, knows that I come from nothing.
“I wished to come here and go through everything, and ONE Championship gave me the opportunity back in 2020, and now I’m a World Champion – and I’m rich! Thank you so much, ONE Championship and Chatri!”
Sityodtong: ‘He’s The Best Bantamweight World Champion In MMA’
ONE Chairman and CEO Chatri Sityodtong knows that he has a generational talent on his hands in Fabricio Andrade.
Following ONE 170, Sityodtong was quick to praise “Wonder Boy’s” impressive TKO finish:
“I’d say right now, for me, he’s the best Bantamweight [MMA] World Champion in MMA globally. He’s the best if you look at his talent.
“That’s his best performance, especially the game plan that Kwon Won Il came [with]. Kwon Won Il came thinking he could pressure Fabricio and knock him out. And Kwon Won Il is a killer boxer, as we all know, right?
“And Fabricio responded by going toe-to-toe. He had no fear, no care. And he showed him where his level of striking is compared to Kwon Won Il.”
For his part, Andrade heard Sityodtong’s words and is determined to live up to that high praise.
He knows that simply winning and keeping his ONE Bantamweight MMA World Title won’t be enough to cement himself as the best – he must continue to deliver finishes.
“Wonder Boy” added:
“Right now, I just want to be the best I can be. I feel like what Chatri said – I am the best bantamweight in the world, and I want to prove that. And to prove that, I need to keep putting on performances like I did [against Kwon].
“I cannot just have good fights. I need to go there and finish my opponents in a nice way. And by doing that, I will prove that I’m the best bantamweight in the world across any organization.”
