Reigning ONE Bantamweight MMA World Champion Fabricio “Wonder Boy” Andrade is achieving his lifelong goals – both inside and outside of competition.
On November 3 in U.S. primetime, the 26-year-old superstar will aim for two-sport gold when he battles bantamweight Muay Thai kingpin Jonathan Haggerty for the vacant ONE Bantamweight Kickboxing World Title in the main event of ONE Fight Night 16 on Prime Video,
For Andrade, the matchup in Bangkok comes on the heels of his sensational World Title-winning performance against John Lineker in February at ONE Fight Night 7.
That victory not only secured him 26 pounds of gold but also gave him the opportunity to make a life-changing purchase for his mother.
The Brazilian spoke to onefc.com about the dream gift:
“I bought the house right after winning the belt. Right after my victory over John Lineker, I went to Brazil and started looking.”
(@fabricioandrade1)Andrade and his family come from a hardscrabble background in the Brazilian city of Fortaleza, while his mother never knew a life of luxury or even comfort.
Considering where they came from, “Wonder Boy” says the new home will be a major upgrade:
“When I was looking for the house, I didn’t have many demands. Especially because the house we grew up in was very simple, very humble, built with as few resources as possible.”
Now with seven fights under the bright lights of ONE Championship, a World Title belt wrapped around his waist, and another one potentially on the way next month, Andrade is in a great position to provide a better, safer life for the woman who raised him.
While she had become accustomed to living on the bare minimum, the titleholder’s mother can now enjoy the comforts of modern amenities.
Andrade said:
“I wanted it to be in a place a little away from where she lived because our old house is in a more dangerous place. I was able to buy the house in a safer neighborhood.
“This house has a garage, the furniture is designed, everything is well organized and structured. Which is a lot for someone who has had the simplest things their whole life. Having the basics is enough for us.”
Andrade Inspired To Improve His Family’s Life
As the current ONE Bantamweight MMA World Champion who could become a two-sport king at ONE Fight Night 16, Fabricio Andrade is widely regarded among the planet’s top pound-for-pound fighters.
In many respects, he has already reached the top of the proverbial mountain in martial arts.
But instead of finding motivation in golden belts or global fame, “Wonder Boy” says he’s driven by the desire to provide a better life for his loved ones:
“I’m at a point where being able to help my parents and sisters is what motivates me daily. I have already fulfilled most of my personal dreams, and now, I want to change the lives of people close to me. My goal is to provide a life change for the better for my family and those close to me.”
To that end, buying his mother a new house is a massive step in that direction.
Andrade says the home represents the payoff for countless sacrifices he’s made to reach the top of the combat sports world – namely, the years spent away from his family in pursuit of a World Title.
He added:
“Being able to provide this makes me very proud and happy. I spent a lot of time away from my parents and my family. I didn’t have frequent contact with them for a long time because of my dedication to the sport and because I lived very far away from them.
“It’s not very easy for me to always go to Brazil [from his current home in Thailand], so I lost a lot of connection with them. But it’s the price I had to pay.”
