Fabricio Andrade has tailored his training camp specifically to counter Enkh-Orgil Baatarkhuu's wrestling while maintaining confidence he will retain his ONE Bantamweight MMA World Championship with another finish.
The Brazilian defends his title against the fourth-ranked Mongolian contender on Friday, December 5, at Lumpinee Stadium in Bangkok. Andrade enters his second defense of the year after stopping Kwon Won Il in 42 seconds at ONE 170 in January, showcasing the finishing ability that has defined his championship reign.
The 28-year-old Tiger Muay Thai fighter has adjusted his preparation to address Baatarkhuu's suffocating wrestling style, though he maintains his striking foundation remains the cornerstone of his approach. Andrade has emphasized grappling work throughout camp while developing strategies to force Baatarkhuu into striking exchanges where the Brazilian holds clear advantages.
"My training camp this time is a little different. I prepared a specific plan to defend what he does. He doesn't change his style too much from fight to fight. So it's easy to have an idea of what he's going to try to do," Andrade explained. "So my whole training camp was to defend what he does while making him fight my fight. But it wasn't too much change. We just did a little bit more specific work to focus on his style."
The challenge presented by Baatarkhuu's grappling excites Andrade, who views the matchup as an opportunity to showcase dimensions of his game beyond the devastating striking that carried him to gold. While his lightning-fast hands and powerful knees have produced multiple highlight finishes, the Brazilian recognizes that defending against elite grapplers requires technical wrestling, positional awareness and cardio to handle extended grappling exchanges.
"In Enkh, I get a new challenge, a different style, a guy who is going to challenge me in different areas that maybe none of the fighters before have tried. So I'm excited to also show how good I am in different areas," Andrade said. "I am a well-rounded fighter. I can do it all. And I have shown that with my striking in my past fights with my knockouts. This time, I'm going to show how good my grappling is because I've got a guy who's gonna try to wrestle me."
Andrade has won five of his seven ONE Championship fights by stoppage, establishing himself as one of the division's most dangerous finishers. He envisions another quick night against Baatarkhuu despite the stylistic challenges presented by the Mongolian grappler's approach.
"I'm gonna finish the fight. I don't want to pick a round or anything like that because I want to enjoy the fight. I want to see how the fight goes. But, definitely, I'm gonna finish the fight. The belt is gonna stay with me," Andrade stated.
The Brazilian didn't focus heavily on Baatarkhuu until watching him dominate Jeremy Pacatiw at ONE Fight Night 29 in March. While Andrade found the performance unimpressive from an entertainment standpoint, he acknowledged the effectiveness of Baatarkhuu's grappling-heavy approach and recognized the physical strength the Mongolian brings despite his shorter stature.
"I wasn't paying attention too much [on Enkh], to be honest, right until his last fight when he fought Pacatiw right after I defended the belt. He dominated Pacatiw. But I wasn't impressed. It was a little boring of a fight, but he came to win," Andrade revealed. "He's a grappler. He's a jiu-jitsu guy. He would try to do what he does. He grapples you, and he tries to make you tired, and it is a little boring. But I think he's strong. He's little, short, but strong."
Andrade views this defense as particularly significant for validating his complete skill set. His previous title defenses showcased his world-class striking, but overcoming Baatarkhuu's grappling will demonstrate why he sits atop the bantamweight division as a well-rounded competitor capable of handling any stylistic challenge.
"This defense is important because of his different style. You know, he's a guy who has a different style from every opponent that I faced before," Andrade explained. "So for me to defend my belt against him now, and if I can dominate the fight, it's going to show that I can do it, that I'm on a different level."
