Fabricio Andrade Admits Eagerness For Finish Became His Undoing Against Enkh-Orgil Baatarkhuu
The devastating knockout power that flattened John Lineker and demolished Kwon Won Il in 42 seconds created a dangerous expectation for Fabricio Andrade at ONE Fight Night 38 on Prime Video on December 5. He believed that another highlight-reel finish was just moments away after dropping Enkh-Orgil Baatarkhuu early in the opening frame.
That belief, the Brazilian now admits, became his undoing as the Mongolian challenger’s otherworldly resilience and relentless wrestling exploited the openings created by “Wonder Boy’s” eagerness to press for the finish. Baatarkhuu ultimately captured 26 pounds of gold with a fourth-round rear-naked choke inside Bangkok’s iconic Lumpinee Stadium.
The loss stung deeply, yet losing to a warrior like Baatarkhuu softened the blow for the Tiger Muay Thai representative, who walked away from the main event showdown without his ONE Bantamweight MMA World Title but carrying nothing but respect for the man who dethroned him.
“I knew he was going to be a very tough opponent, but it was still very surprising for me to see how he could recover,” Andrade said. “I’ve never seen anyone who can take that many hits, get dropped, survive, and come back like nothing happened. He’s a very tough guy and a remarkable opponent.”
The Fortaleza native had built his undefeated MMA run in the organization on devastating knockout power, the kind that made him believe he had another finish within reach when he dropped the Mongolian early. His past performances suggested opponents stayed down once they hit the canvas, creating an expectation that proved false against Baatarkhuu’s unprecedented durability.
“Every time I hit someone, they’re out, and they don’t come back. Even in this fight, I think it was just around one minute, and I already dropped him,” he said. “And I thought I needed to finish the fight. So I rushed a little bit.”
That eagerness left openings the 36-year-old challenger exploited with suffocating ground control. By the championship rounds, the momentum had shifted entirely as Baatarkhuu — riding a three-fight winning streak into the bout — delivered the performance of his life when the stakes couldn’t have been higher.
Even in defeat, Andrade refuses to take the spotlight from “The Tormentor’s” moment of glory as he became Mongolia’s second MMA World Champion while securing a US$50,000 performance bonus from ONE Chairman and CEO Chatri Sityodtong.
“Enkh is a great man. He’s a great person. He’s a great fighter, too,” Andrade said. “Although I lost the fight, I was happy for him also because he’s 36 years old, he just had a great year, he became famous with ‘Physical: Asia,’ and now he has become a World Champion. So, I’m happy for him. I’m happy that he was able to achieve all of this, and now he’s well-known around the world. I’m happy for his career. He’s the toughest guy I’ve ever fought and the toughest guy I’ve ever seen.”
While praise flows freely for the new champion, redemption fuels Andrade’s focus as the calendar prepares to flip to 2026. The former divisional king recognizes that many overlooked Baatarkhuu heading into their title fixture as conversations had already shifted to potential future opponents, though “Wonder Boy” never made that mistake.
“Setbacks only make us stronger. Before the fight, everyone was talking about how easy this would be, who would be next already,” he said. “They were talking about possible opponents after this fight. People were overlooking this guy. Not me. Now, everything is more interesting. I need to evolve to prepare to get better and to come back stronger. I’m pumped to evolve and get better.”
Having experienced firsthand just how tough Baatarkhuu is and the skill set he possesses, Andrade knows exactly what adjustments he’ll need to make in the inevitable rematch. His knockout power remains his greatest weapon, yet the next approach will require far more patience and discipline.
“Going into the rematch, I think I’ll need to be more patient. Like if I need to drop him 50 times in a fight, I really need to stay patient to drop him 50 times in the fight,” he said. “Congrats on the good year, Enkh. I wish you all the best, but I’m going to come to take my belt back.”
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