"I knew he was going to be a triple world champion" - Fabricio Andrade had no doubt Anatoly Malykhin was going to make history
Reigning and undisputed ONE bantamweight MMA world champion 'Wonder Boy' Fabricio Andrade of Brazil says he knew all along Russian megastar 'Sladkiy' Anatoly Malykhin would have no issues capturing three division greatness.
The 26-year-old says his close friend and teammate was destined to be a three-division world champion.
Malykhin defeated The Netherlands' 'The Dutch Knight' Reinier de Ridder in the main event of ONE 166: Qatar, ONE Championship's historic return to the Middle East, which took place at the Lusail Sports Arena on March 1st.
The victory earned the Russian star the ONE middleweight MMA world title, which he added to the heavyweight and light heavyweight strap already in his collection.
Speaking to Sportskeeda MMA in an exclusive interview, Fabricio Andrade said he had utmost confidence that Malykhin would get the job done and make history.
'Wonder Boy' said:
"Of course, going throught the fight, a fight is always a fight. De Ridder showed that he was well prepared in that fight, some evolutions. But I just knew he [Malykhin] was going to be a triple world champion."
Malykhin's extraordinary achievement makes him the first man in the history of mixed martial arts to simultaneously hold three world titles in three different weight classes.
Needless to say, 'Wonder Boy' has been inspired by his friend's victory, and he hopes to one day achieve the same feat.
Fabricio Andrade lobbies for rematch with Jonathan Haggerty: "I don't like to lose"
Bantamweight MMA king 'Wonder Boy' Fabricio Andrade is currently nursing his injuries and plans to make a comeback later this year when he's one hundred percent healthy.
There's one opponent on his radar -- ONE bantamweight Muay Thai and kickboxing world champion 'The General' Jonathan Haggerty.
Haggerty defeated Andrade in November 2023 by technical knockout, and it's one 'Wonder Boy' who wants back in a bad way.
He told the South China Morning Post in a recent interview:
"I would like to get the fight [defeat to Haggerty] back, you know. I don't think I was 100 percent for the fight, and I would like to get a rematch, you know. Loss is hard for me. I don't like to lose, so I want to get that fight back as well."