“The Sport Changed My Life” – Fabricio Andrade Recalls How Finding Combat Sports Gave Him Purpose and Confidence

Fabricio Andrade is one of the most confident fighters on the planet today. The Brazilian star knows he possesses all the skills necessary to destroy an opponent with pre-fight talk and in-ring game. But it wasn’t always this way for him.

‘Wonder Boy’ will next appear in ONE Championship when he squares off with Jonathan Haggerty for the vacant ONE Bantamweight Kickboxing World Title in the main event of ONE Fight Night 16 on Friday, November 3, inside the Lumpinee Boxing Stadium in Bangkok, Thailand.

An opportunity for a two-sport triumph for Fabricio Andrade

If he can beat the British striking superstar, Andrade will add the coveted strap to his bantamweight MMA belt to become a two-sport World Champion in the world’s largest martial organization. But Haggerty is the Muay Thai titleholder in the division for a reason, and he’ll be no easy foe to overcome.

Ahead of the monumental World Champion vs. World Champion battle, ‘Wonder Boy’ has been reflecting on his rough upbringing in his home city of Fortaleza and how combat sports saved him from a dangerous life of crime. Both of his parents worked hard, but they could only provide enough to ensure that the family of five lived just above the poverty line. Andrade admits that he developed an inferiority complex because of his living conditions, and he felt pessimistic about his future until Muay Thai began to give him a boost.

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“I started to get good at Muay Thai. Everyone praised me, and it motivated me every day,” the 26-year-old told ONE. “The sport changed my life. It was my one life goal. Until I started, I was lost. I didn’t know what I wanted or where I was going. So, it was the sport that changed my life. And to this day, it gives me a goal to change my life and that of my family.”

Entry into MMA after a glorious Muay Thai and kickboxing career

Andrade continued to develop his craft and amassed a record of 40-3 in kickboxing and Muay Thai competitions. He decided to switch to mixed martial arts upon signing with ONE, and he debuted in the all-encompassing sport at ONE: NO SURRENDER in July 2020. He bested the dangerous competitor Mark Abdelardo that evening and went on to amass five more victories in the bantamweight MMA division, including claiming the World Title against John Lineker this past January. ‘Wonder Boy’s’ success has allowed him to support himself and his family in ways they never thought possible.

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He shared the secret to his success in the hopes of helping anyone who feels negative about their situation, as he did growing up. “The best hope we can have is to have a goal in life. You need to look for something that you like, whether it’s a sport, a job, or something that you really enjoy doing. You need to look for this and visualize where you want to get to,” Andrade said. “If you have a goal, you wake up every day with the mission of trying to achieve your goal. This gives you daily motivation to keep moving forward. “he negative thoughts are there, and I’m always working to only think positive thoughts. I always take time out of my day to work on my mindset.”