ONE 158: Fabricio Andrade fires fierce warning to Kwon Won II

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Fabricio Andrade has fired a fierce warning to Kwon Won II, his opponent at the upcoming ONE 158 event, scheduled to take place on Friday (June 3) at the Singapore Indoor Stadium.

"Wonder Boy" Andrade believes that he will become the ONE Bantamweight World Champion in no time. For that reason, the #4-ranked contender calls himself the uncrowned king of the division.

He does have the right to feel that way because he is still undefeated after four matches in ONE Championship. His hit list includes Mark Abelardo, Jeremy Pacatiw, Li Kai Wen, and former ranked contender Shoko Sato. Moreover, he claims that the current titleholder, John Lineker, is ducking him.

"It's been two years since I asked to fight John Lineker, and he literally pretends he doesn't see it. He's hiding. He doesn't want to fight me. And I've already faced every opponent ONE sent me," the 24-year-old mixed martial artist said.

But before he gets his shot at Lineker, he will have to defeat #2-ranked Kwon Won Il at ONE 158: Tawanchai vs. Larsen this Friday (June 3). Andrade has strong words for the South Korean, saying that he is the rightful owner of that ranking because he defeated Sato, while Kwon lost to the Japanese fighter.

Even if Kwon is on a three-fight winning streak and recently defeated former ONE World Champion Kevin Belingon, the Thailand-based Brazilian is not impressed with his upcoming foe.

"I know he's coming from a good winning streak, but if you compare our opponents, you'll see that my opponents were a lot tougher," Andrade said.

"His last fight was against Kevin Belingon, who was coming off three straight losses. So, it didn't impress me that he beat Kevin."

The Marrok Force and Hit Studio representative doesn't see Kwon as a problem because he's mainly a striker. After all, "Wonder Boy" sports a 40-3 Muay Thai and kickboxing record, signifying that he can match Kwon's prowess in the stand-up department.

But while they are both elite strikers, Andrade is confident about his timing and finishing instincts. While he respects Kwon's ability, he believes the South Korean isn't the most dangerous opponent he has ever faced.

"There's a big difference between if you are hitting for no reason, and if you are hitting because you know when to hit," Andrade said.

"That's fighting IQ. I'm a very smart guy in the fight, and that's our difference. When we're face-to-face, he's going to see a type of striker he's never seen in his life."

Though Kwon is working on his ground game, Andrade won't waste time bringing the match to the canvas. He believes he already has a ton of advantages in grappling and will force "Pretty Boy" to submit if given a chance.

Andrade knows the high stakes involved in this contest. And he can send a solid message to Lineker by completing an emphatic victory over Kwon. Still, he's not changing his game plan.

"I believe it will not be different from my last fights. I'm going to start calm, seeing what he's going to bring to the fight and, after reading his entire game, I'm going to knock him out or submit him," Andrade said.

Watch ONE 158: Tawanchai vs. Larsen live on Disney+ Hotstar or Star Sports Select 2, beginning with the lead card at 3 PM IST on Friday (June 3). The main card broadcasts live on Disney+ Hotstar and Star Sports Select 2 at 6 PM IST.

Source: Media Release