ONE Championship returned to action this past weekend, and a little-known Brazilian featherweight picked up a big win for his career.
Fabricio Andrade (4-2) made his promotional debut in spectacular fashion, earning a second-round technical submission win over longtime veteran Mark Abelardo (19-8). The bout served as the first MMA contest of Friday’s ONE Championship 110 event in Thailand.
Afterward, Andrade said he wasn’t nearly as surprised as others might be.
“I feel like I did my job,” Andrade said after the win. “I feel like I did what I came to do, and I finished my job.”
Fighting for the first time in 14 months and the first time ever in the ONE Championship ring, Andrade certainly was a bit of a mystery. However, he certainly impressed in the performance.
Training at Tiger Muay Thai in Thailand, Andrade gave praise to brothers George and Frank Hickman for elevating his game.
“Nobody knows me,” Andrade said. “Nobody knows that I have jiu-jitsu. People think that I’m a striker, but I’m not. I’m complete. I’m jiu-jitsu. I’m wrestling. I’m everything. He tried to take me down, I did that Hickman brothers wrestling, and then I did that jiu-jitsu that I was training everyday.”
To hear more from Andrade, check out the video above. Or click on the event highlights below.
