ONE Bantamweight MMA World Champion Fabricio Andrade has faced some of the most formidable fighters in combat sports. The 27-year-old Brazilian recently shared his insights on who possesses the most devastating striking power in ONE Championship.
When it comes to striking talent, Andrade believes the promotion stands alone.
"ONE has the best strikers in the world, for sure. I think that's pretty clear. Muay Thai is the most complete striking martial art of all, allowing you to use your elbows, knees, punches, and kicks — and ONE has the best Muay Thai fighters in the world," Andrade said.
Without hesitation, Andrade named ONE Featherweight Muay Thai World Champion Tawanchai PK Saenchai as the organisation's most fearsome kicker. Despite having never faced him in competition, Andrade witnessed Tawanchai's frightening power firsthand during a pre-fight warmup.
"Backstage at ONE, they provide pads for warmups, and they are very hard, so much so that I and other athletes often bring our own pads so as not to have to use these. For my last fight, I was in the same locker room as Tawanchai, and I saw that he was kicking this hard pad with all his strength, and his shins were very red. It looked like they were going to explode, and he kept kicking. I was impressed by how strong his kick is and how hard his shin is," Andrade said.
When asked about the hardest puncher in ONE, Andrade didn't hesitate to name his former rival, John "Hands of Stone" Lineker.
"The strongest punch I believe is from my longtime friend John Lineker. If we compare his record with athletes from other categories around the world, he is probably among the athletes who have won the most fights by knockout with punches," Andrade said.
Despite acknowledging Lineker's legendary power, Andrade suggested his former opponent might be entering a different phase in his career.
"John Lineker is a dangerous guy who has a big name and a long history in the sport. But I think that at this moment, Lineker is not as focused as he was, for example, before fighting Bibiano Fernandes," Andrade said.
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