Fabricio Andrade says he will reign for a long time as bantamweight king: “I still have so many years ahead of me”

Brazilian MMA fighter Fabricio Andrade is certain his time as the ONE bantamweight MMA world champion is far from done. If anything, he's ready to write his name as one of the promotion's longest-reigning kings.

Combat sports journalist Nick Atkin recently caught up with 'Wonder Boy' ahead of his next world title defense in the main event of ONE Fight Night 38 on Friday, Dec. 5.

That evening, live in American primetime from Bangkok, Thailand, the striking specialist puts his gold on the line against Mongolian standout Enkh-Orgil Baatarkhuu.

"Man, like I'm 28, you know, I still have so many years ahead of me, and I just need to stay sharp," the Thailand-based athlete shared when asked about his plans in the bantamweight division.

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"I want to stay as the champion, and I don’t know what’s going to happen in the future, but I need to stay prepared for everything. I just think there are many years still. A lot of things can happen."

Watch Fabricio Andrade's full interview with Nick Atkin below:

Andrade has reigned as the divisional king since he registered a TKO of John Lineker in their rematch at ONE Fight Night 7 inside the Mecca of Muay Thai in the Thai capital.

In his last appearance on the global stage, 'Wonder Boy' sealed his first world title defense with an insane 42-second finish of 'Pretty Boy' Kwon Won Il.

At the same time, he earned a US$50,000 performance bonus from ONE Championship Chairman and CEO Chatri Sityodtong.

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Fabricio Andrade says Enkh-Orgil Baatarkhuu deserves a shot at his strap

In the same online exchange with Atkin, Fabricio Andrade praised Enkh-Orgil Baatarkhuu, admitting that the Mongolian fighter is deserving of a shot at his 26 pounds of gold.

"Yes, he's a good opponent. He's coming from good wins. He had a loss against Artem Belakh back in—I don't remember the exact date—but after that, he got three wins again. So, he's deserving, you know. So let's go," he added.

ONE Fight Night 38 will be available to Amazon Prime Video subscribers in the United States and Canada, live in U.S. primetime, for free on Friday, Dec. 5.

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Edited by Aziel Karthak