Fabricio “Wonder Boy” Andrade knows why he is the top-ranked bantamweight in ONE Championship, and he’s planning to show the world by becoming the divisional king on Friday, February 24. Andrade is set to run it back with John “Hands of Stone” Lineker for the vacant ONE Bantamweight World Title in the main event of ONE Fight Night 7 – four months after an accidental low blow brought an end to their highly anticipated first meeting.
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Despite the unceremonious ending, “Wonder Boy” strongly believes that he was moments away from leaving the Circle with the gold around his waist. And he says that will weigh heavily on his foe’s mind as he prepares for the upcoming rematch.
Fabricio Andrade missed victory by an inch in their previous outing
“I think the fact that I came very close to ending the fight, that he was badly hurt in the fight, and that I defended all his attempts on the ground, makes a difference in the psychological factor,” Andrade shared.
After finding success with his jab-straight combinations against Lineker, the undefeated 25-year-old mixed things up and began landing huge knees on the former ONE Bantamweight World Champion, the last of which hit him below the belt and shattered his protective cup.
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That devastating blow left “Hands of Stone” unable to continue, and the blockbuster match was ruled a no-contest as a result. The Muay Thai specialist is expecting Lineker to put up a better fight this time, but he doesn’t see anything short of a miracle that will lead the veteran to victory when they square off on February 24.
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Andrade is confident about knocking John Lineker out this time
“His chance of winning this fight is if something extraordinary happens. But we know that I’m the best athlete, that this is my moment, and that I’m going to be the champion,” Andrade said. “He will prepare more now that he knows how good I am. But I believe this will not make a difference.”
“Three months of training will not make him become another athlete. I know how he fights. He knows how I fight. And that won’t change for the rematch. So, I’m sure I’ll knock him out one more time.”
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Fans in the U.S. and Canada can watch their rematch at ONE Fight Night 7: Lineker vs. Andrade II on Prime Video live for free with an Amazon Prime subscription on Friday, February 24.