Black Belt Team 
Fabricio Andrade has become one of the fastest-rising stars in combat sports over the past two years. His exciting style and charismatic personality have made him a fan favorite. At ONE Fight Night 7 on February 24, he has the chance to become the ONE Bantamweight World Champion and make his star even brighter.
In a recent interview with ONE Championship, Andrade reflected on his trying days as a child that helped forge him into the elite athlete he is today.
“It was always very difficult for me to talk about my childhood. My family and I were very poor. I went through many difficulties when I lived in Brazil and later when I decided to take the risk of living abroad,” said Andrade.
“Wonder Boy” recalled being a quiet child during his early years, and he was not gregarious. However, that did not mean he would run away from confrontation. If Andrade was provoked, he would do what he needed to defend himself.
The penchant for defending himself led him to want to begin training. But watching a friend take his training into the ring captivated the young Brazilian and planted the seed that would grow into a passion.
“I started training because I wanted to fight in the street. A friend took me to train Muay Thai, and I enjoyed it. One day, I went to see him fight, and that was so cool for me. He was in the ring fighting, and everyone was looking at him. He was the center of attention, and that enchanted me,” said Andrade.
“I gave up soccer the next day and started to dedicate myself only to fighting. From that day, I felt something different. I knew this was what I had to do. I started to get good at it, everyone praised me, and it motivated me every day.”
As a martial artist, Andrade looked for new challenges and new opportunities. One of those would take him around the world to China. But it was not a happy time in his life, as Andrade felt disconnected without being able to speak the language and make friends. He was isolated and too proud to reach out.
“I remember many times I regretted going to China. I would go to the bathroom and cry for hours because I didn’t know what to do. I didn’t have money and neither did my family, so I didn’t want to ask for their help because I didn’t want to make them worried.” recalled Andrade.
But “Wonder Boy” was driven to succeed and become a world-class athlete. He overcame the obstacles, joined ONE, and became a global superstar. Andrade never gave up on himself and displayed the martial arts spirit that so many talk about.
On the precipice of ultimate glory, Andrade can look back and reflect on how each difficulty helped lead him to this point. And for that, he is grateful.
“Every day I wake up, and I still can’t believe everything that’s happening in my life and how far I’ve come. But what excites me the most is that I always knew I would make it, even with all the difficulties,” said Andrade.
“If you believe in your heart, do what has to be done, because at some point things will work out. We plant today to harvest tomorrow.”
ONE Fight Night 7 airs live on Prime Video at 8 p.m. EST/5 p.m. PST on Friday, February 24. The event is free for all U.S. and Canadian Amazon Prime subscribers on Amazon Prime.
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