“I was losing muscle” – Fabricio Andrade reveals severity of hernia injury that left him compromised against Jonathan Haggerty

Reigning ONE bantamweight MMA world champion Fabricio Andrade explained the real extent of his injury that left him compromised against Jonathan Haggerty at ONE Fight Night 16.

Truth be told, it’s very rare to see ‘Wonder Boy’ on the defensive, especially in a striking battle.

The Brazilian phenom had previously established himself as the most feared bantamweight of his generation. He won six battles under the world’s largest martial arts organization, capped off by a world title-clinching performance against John Lineker at ONE Fight Night 7 last year.

However, he suffered a devastating knockout at the hands of his UK rival, Jonathan Haggerty, in November, in his bid to capture the ONE bantamweight kickboxing crown.

In a recent interview with the South China Morning Post, ‘Wonder Boy’ shared that he dealt with an injury heading into his champion vs. champion clash against Haggerty:

“After the fight [with John Lineker], I came to Brazil. I went to see a doctor and I found out that I had a hernia on my neck. It was affecting my arm and my shoulder, I was losing my strength on my left arm. I was losing a muscle so now I'm treating it and doing a lot of physiotherapy and waiting to go back like to feel strong again then I'm gonna go back to fighting.”

Fabricio Andrade may have lost the opportunity to become a rare two-sport world champion, but he leaves the kickboxing scene with his head up high. Knowing where he comes from and what he’s done to get to the top is enough for him to continue doing great things within his division.

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Fabricio Andrade believes Kwon Won Il’s flashy antics could elevate a potential match with him in the future

There is no shortage of potential opponents for Fabricio Andrade. At the moment, the Brazilian phenom has former divisional king John ‘Hands of Stone’ Lineker and top bantamweight contender Kwon Won Il knocking on his doorstep once again.

Andrade has previously defeated both foes, but both men have risen back up again to position themselves for a world title showdown.

In regards to Kwon, Andrade believes he could very well be the next guy he fights in a rematch. Besides, the champ and ‘Pretty Boy’ have been exchanging unpleasantries online.

Sharing his thoughts about Kwon, here’s what ‘Wonder Boy’ told ONE:

“It would be a good fight against him. I’ve faced him before, and he’s a guy who promotes fights a lot. He’s a guy who creates attention and generates expectations for fans with the way he promotes his fights, so I think it would be a good fight for me.”