‘The Belt Is Gonna Stay With Me’ – Fabricio Andrade Aims To Shut Down Enkh-Orgil Baatarkhuu At ONE Fight Night 38
Reigning ONE Bantamweight MMA World Champion Fabricio “Wonder Boy” Andrade has built an empire on devastating finishes and unshakable confidence, and he plans to bring them both to his next fight in the main event of ONE Fight Night 38 on Prime Video.
On Friday, December 5, live in U.S. primetime, from Bangkok’s legendary Lumpinee Stadium, the Brazilian superstar defends his throne against #4-ranked contender Enkh-Orgil Baatarkhuu.
The 28-year-old enters his second title defense of the year riding momentum from his spectacular 42-second demolition of “Pretty Boy” Kwon Won Il in their rematch at ONE 170 this past January.
Unlike his previous assignments, Andrade has since tailored his entire training camp specifically to counter Baatarkhuu’s suffocating wrestling.
The adjustments weren’t drastic. His striking prowess remains his foundation. But he has emphasized grappling, knowing what his foe brings to the table:
“My training camp this time is a little different. I prepared a specific plan to defend what he does. He doesn’t change his style too much from fight to fight. So it’s easy to have an idea of what he’s going to try to do.
“So my whole training camp was to defend what he does while making him fight my fight. But it wasn’t too much change. We just did a little bit more specific work to focus on his style.”
While his lightning-fast hands and devilish knees have carried him to gold, the Tiger Muay Thai affiliate understands that defending against elite grapplers demands technical wrestling, positional awareness, and the cardio to handle extended grappling exchanges.
Still, Baatarkhuu presents exactly the kind of threat that excites “Wonder Boy,” and he is ready to showcase new dimensions to his game come fight night.
Andrade shared with onefc.com:
“In Enkh, I get a new challenge, a different style, a guy who is going to challenge me in different areas that maybe none of the fighters before have tried. So I’m excited to also show how good I am in different areas.
“I am a well-rounded fighter. I can do it all. And I have shown that with my striking in my past fights with my knockouts. This time, I’m going to show how good my grappling is because I’ve got a guy who’s gonna try to wrestle me.”
Whichever way this fight unfolds at ONE Fight Night 38, Andrade, who has won six of his eight MMA fights under the ONE spotlight inside the distance, envisions another quick night in the office.
The Brazilian plans to impose his will and add Baatarkhuu to his growing list of victims who have succumbed to his finishing prowess on the global stage.
He continued:
“I’m gonna finish the fight. I don’t want to pick a round or anything like that because I want to enjoy the fight. I want to see how the fight goes. But, definitely, I’m gonna finish the fight. The belt is gonna stay with me.”
Andrade Unimpressed By Baatarkhuu
Fabricio Andrade didn’t pay much attention to Enkh-Orgil Baatarkhuu’s rise through the bantamweight ranks until recently.
Following his sub-minute ONE World Title defense against Kwon, he began scouting potential challengers and watched the Team Tungaa and Shandas MMA affiliate dominate #5-ranked Jeremy Pacatiw at ONE Fight Night 29 this past March.
While the performance didn’t wow him, the Brazilian gave credit where it’s due:
“I wasn’t paying attention too much [on Enkh], to be honest, right until his last fight when he fought Pacatiw right after I defended the belt. He dominated Pacatiw. But I wasn’t impressed. It was a little boring of a fight, but he came to win.
“He’s a grappler. He’s a jiu-jitsu guy. He would try to do what he does. He grapples you, and he tries to make you tired, and it is a little boring. But I think he’s strong. He’s little, short, but strong.”
That technical breakdown reveals why the reigning ONE Bantamweight MMA World Champion views this upcoming war as particularly significant.
Defending against a striker like Kwon certainly validated his world-class stand-up arsenal. But overcoming Baatarkhuu’s chain of attacks on the canvas will validate his complete game and prove why he sits atop the division.
Andrade added:
“This defense is important because of his different style. You know, he’s a guy who has a different style from every opponent that I faced before.
“So for me to defend my belt against him now, and if I can dominate the fight, it’s going to show that I can do it, that I’m on a different level.”
