Fabricio Andrade has trained long and hard for eventual Enkh-Orgil Baatarkhuu fight: "I knew I was going to fight him for a long time"

Reigning ONE bantamweight MMA world champion Fabricio Andrade is all fired up to claim another statement win when he puts his coveted 26 pounds of gold on the line next week.At the legendary Lumpinee Stadium in Bangkok, Thailand, the Tiger Muay Thai martial artist faces off against No.4-ranked divisional contender Enkh-Orgil Baatarkhuu in the main event of ONE Fight Night 38.Their scheduled five-round tilt will be one of two world title battles lined up for the organization's final American primetime showcase of the year. In the co-main event, Diogo Reis and Daiki Yonekura collide for the vacant ONE flyweight submission grappling world title.Ahead of Andrade's return, the South China Morning Post (SCMP) caught up with the 28-year-old fighter to get his thoughts on this upcoming showdown against the Mongolian veteran."Yes, I'm very happy to be back. I have been working a lot and developing my skills, you know. That's the thing, you know, for me it doesn't matter, you know, if I'm in fight camp or not," Fabricio Andrade shared."I'm just training, training, training, you know, and trying to get better. So I knew I was going to fight him for a long time, and I just have been working a lot on my grappling."In his last outing, 'Wonder Boy' defended his crown with a wicked 42-second finish of 'Pretty Boy' Kwon Won Il at ONE 170.Watch Fabricio Andrade's full interview with SCMP here:Could he earn another sub-minute win here over the hardy Baatarkhuu? Let us know below!Fabricio Andrade's work in the clinch will be pivotal vs. Enkh-Orgil BaatarkhuuFabricio Andrade has plenty of ways to emerge victorious over Baatarkhuu, whose grappling is the biggest threat he will bring to the squared Circle in the main event of ONE Fight Night 38.As long as 'Wonder Boy' shuts down his foe's strategy, which revolves around punishing takedowns and submission, the Brazilian can find a route to another impressive win without much fuss.In close quarters, the bantamweight MMA king has stinging knees, body shots, and elbows, which have helped him set up some of his wildest finishes on the global stage.Baatarkhuu will aim to take the fight to the canvas, and if Andrade lands a heavy blow in the clinch, it could give him the opening needed to land his accurate boxing combinations.North American fans with an active Amazon Prime Video subscription can catch the two in action in the main event of ONE Fight Night 38, live in U.S. primetime, for free on Friday, Dec. 5.