Surging star Fabricio “Wonder Boy” Andrade will shoot his shot at John “Hands of Stone” Lineker‘s ONE Bantamweight World Title in the main event of ONE on Prime Video 3 this Friday, October 21, at the Axiata Arena in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
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The Brazilian star recognizes that his compatriot’s heavy hands can cause plenty of damage and have led him to the top of the stacked division in impressive fashion. But he believes his own ferocious approach will give him the advantage when they square off.
Fabricio Andrade believes he has the edge over Lineker
“He’s an aggressive guy. But I believe I’m the most aggressive fighter in this fight,” the Tiger Muay Thai upstart said.
Andrade has been calling for his chance to challenge for the World Title since he made his promotional bow in July 2020, and he has been lethal thus far in his tenure–winning all five of his bouts, earning four finishes, and claiming a US$50,000 performance bonus along the way.
“Wonder Boy” is easily one of ONE’s fastest-growing stars, and not just for his fighting prowess. He has gained plenty of new fans for his antics outside the Circle too.
The 25-year-old sensation hasn’t been shy in taking barbs at Lineker as he has risen through the rankings, and he sees it as an integral part of the game.
“I believe trash talk is necessary. I think that makes the fans more excited about the fight, helping to sell the fight more as well. Also, I think it all shows my confidence,” Andrade stated.
“Everything I say is what’s in my head. And when I trash talk, I also see my opponents’ confidence level. They don’t say the same thing, so I believe they are not as confident as I am. And that gives me a sense of what’s going to happen in the fight.”
The champ will let his hands do the talking
The war of words has been relatively one-sided for the #2-ranked bantamweight contender on this occasion, however.
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“Hands of Stone” has preferred to let his performance on the night do the talking instead of engaging Andrade in trash talk.
And with an unbeaten record, including a finish over longtime divisional king Bibiano Fernandes to claim the coveted strap earlier this year, Lineker has an abundance of confidence that he can do just that.
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But “Wonder Boy” isn’t sure that the World Champion’s silent self-belief is based on reality. In fact, he thinks that his performances have exposed a crucial flaw in his game–one that he plans to exploit on fight night.
“I believe he is a very predictable guy. There’s not much of a secret in his game. From what I’ve seen in his last few fights, he’s been more cautious. He’s been more conservative,” Andrade said.
