A young phenom from Brazil, Fabricio de Andrade, is a great example of a job well done by the ONE Championship scouts. In 2019, the promotion gave a chance to the young Brazilian with a record of just 3-2 as a pro. Since then, “Wonder Boy” is on a five-fight winning streak inside the ONE Circle and has positioned himself as a top bantamweight contender after a first-round knockout by liver kick over Kwon Won Il Kwon on Jun. 3.
Combat Press author Ruslan Navshyrvanov contacted Fabricio and conducted an interview, which is presented below.
RN: Since your debut in ONE [Championship], you have shown excellent performances. With three first-round finishes in a row you, probably put yourself as a favorite for a future fight against bantamweight champion John Lineker. Should we expect another first-round knockout?
FA: I definitely put myself as a favorite, not only from my last performances, but also because I am a more skilled fighter than he is. And my goal is to finish this fight faster than the last one.
RN: What is Lineker’s most dangerous weapon?
FA: The only thing he has are punches, and he catch guys [who don’t] know how to defend. But I don’t think he can do anything good against me.
RN: Can the upcoming fight be considered as the biggest fight of your life?
FA: Yes, for sure. Lineker is the most important fight of my career and also the fight to take me to the next level. So I am excited.
RN: John Lineker says he will punish you for your disrespect. What can you answer on that?
FA: Bring those pillows on. He tried to duck me, because he knows I am going to knock him out. And now it is just a matter of time for that to happen.
RN: In February, after defeating Jeremy Pacatiw, you sent condolences to all Ukrainians. Can you recall when you first heard about the start of the war?
FA: I don’t really remember the exact date, but I saw it on social media after it all started.
RN: From the beginning of the war, famous fighters, such as the Klitschko brothers, Oleksandr Usyk and Vasyl Lomachenko, announced that they are joining militias and encourage others to follow their example. What are your thoughts on such an initiative?
FA: I think that’s another level of toughness, even for fighters like us, because at war, we are talking about lives and that’s all that we have.
RN: The war still goes on. And, there are Brazilian volunteers here fighting for Ukraine. What’s your message to them?
FA: Stay strong. And, hopefully, all of this will end soon.