New bantamweight champion (up to 61,2kg) of One Championship, Fabrício Andrade became king of the division after beating his compatriot, John Lineker, in February. Known for his stand-up fighting skills, the 25-year-old athlete had a quick and successful climb towards the organization's belt. With just 11 fights in his career, the man from Fortaleza is already a reference in mixed martial arts in Asia and is looking to show his credentials to Brazilians.
In an exclusive interview to SUPER FIGHTS, the fighter spoke about the beginning of his career; promoting his image; feeling of fighting John Lineker; recognition in Brazil and next steps in your career.
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“I think in my second MMA fight, at 17 years old, I received the opportunity to fight in Kazakhstan and I ended up having some problems there. I fought two categories above what I performed. And then I was knocked out and I was sad, I chose to take a break from MMA. I only did muay-thai and kickboxing. Two years later I went to China, where I lived in a gym for three months, until I found a house. After that, I actually returned to MMA.”
Importance of promoting your own image
“I like fighting, it’s what I know how to do. In any job we want to be paid well. So we need to have an example of being well paid. We know that the Conor McGregor He's paid well, he's managed to make the most money in this sport, which isn't easy, it's not a sport you've had all your life. So we have this window to make the most of it. I want to be who I am, but I also want people to remember me. I put everything together and create a true personality. If I think I'm going to knock him out, I say it. It’s the way I express myself.”
Fabrício Andrade beat John Lineker in the fourth round. Photo: Reproduction/Instagram @fabricioandrade1
Victory over John Lineker
“I already imagined myself as One champion before I even signed with them. I dreamed of being here, accompanying my training partners to their fights, it was a very big dream. Lineker became the guy I wanted to fight since he signed with One. He came into his prime, at 32 years old, knocking out everyone. I knew he was going to become champion. He was the best guy I could face and I wanted to prove that I could beat him. He's the toughest guy I've ever fought and I was really happy when he told me that I was also the toughest guy in his career. The fights we had will make me evolve for the next ones.”
Recognition in Brazil
“There was already a big difference after Combate started broadcasting the event's fights, we already see a big difference. The One people are excited too. It will take time for people to get used to it, but they will realize that the other events are good and sometimes even have better athletes than they are used to seeing. I’m going to Brazil, in Fortaleza, to take my belt, see my family and promote One more.”
Interest in fighting in Western events
“To be honest, because of what One has done for me and what it has done for me so far, I don’t think about changing promotions. They are valuing me well and that is what matters most: being valued. So, I'm going to stay here for a long time (..) I've lived in Thailand for five years, I have a life here and if you live by fighting, it's a very good country to live in”.
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