Fourth-ranked bantamweight Fabricio “Wonder Boy” Andrade made good on his promise to stop No. 2 contender “Pretty Boy” Kwon Won Il in their pivotal MMA clash on Friday.
The fiery Brazilian delivered a devastating liver kick knockout of the South Korean at “ONE 158: Tawanchai vs. Larsen,” ending matters just over a minute into the first round.
But while many fans were shocked by the quick ending, Andrade said the matchup went down exactly as he’d envisioned.
“On fight day, I just laid down in bed and thought of multiple ways I could finish this fight,” the 24-year-old said. “I wasn’t surprised. I knew I was going to finish him.
“I told myself, I don’t think he’ll be able to see this kick coming to the ribs. He won’t be able to defend it, and that’s exactly what happened. After I threw the first one in the fight, it was right on his hips and he didn’t defend it. So I thought, ‘Yeah, I’m going to finish this guy, for sure.’”
With the victory, Andrade extended his dominant winning streak to seven, which includes three consecutive highlight-reel knockouts.
At this point, the rising star’s power is undeniable, especially in the standup game.
But while he’s becoming notorious for explosive striking, Andrade also wants future opponents to respect his grappling, which he believes is underrated.
“I do everything,” the Brazilian said. “I do elbows, I do punches, I do knees, I do kicks, so I have the whole arsenal. I’m a striker. I really like to strike, but I could have also taken (Kwon) down and finished the fight on the ground. I’m a complete fighter.
“One hundred percent, I get better, faster, and stronger each time. I know it’s all from the hard work I’ve been putting in from camp to camp, back-to-back – hard work every day, and it pays off really well.”
Andrade sends warning To John Lineker: ‘I’m going to finish you next’
Immediately after beating Kwon, Andrade fixed his sights on reigning ONE bantamweight world champion John Lineker.
Of course, the 24-year-old has long been gunning for Lineker – even before “Hands of Stone” took the belt from former divisional king Bibiano Fernandes last March.
And if he’s awarded the next world title shot, “Wonder Boy” is vowing to unseat his fellow Brazilian from the bantamweight throne with perhaps his best performance yet.
“Before this fight, (Lineker) already knew I was the toughest challenger,” Andrade added. “I am the best bantamweight in the division, and that’s why he never chose to reply to me. I told him, ‘I’m going to finish Kwon, and I’m going to finish you next.’ Now he knows I’m coming for him, and there is nowhere to hide. I’m going to finish him, and maybe it’s going to be faster than how I finished Kwon.
“For the first time, he actually replied to my (Instagram) story. He made a post and tagged me. Now he knows that he has to face me, so let’s see what he’s going to do now. Things are just getting interesting.”
This story first published at ONEFC.com.
