Fabricio Andrey’s Explosive Arrival To ONE Championship

Fabricio Andrey is one of the most exciting Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu grapplers today. The signing of the young Brazilian grappling star paves the way for him to compete on the global stage of  ONE Championship against some of the top submission grappling stars in the game. Having the IBJJF Worlds, Europeans, and Brazilian Nationals under his belt, Fabricio consistently delivers thrilling highlight-reel performances with his dynamic displays. In this article, we will talk about one of grappling fan’s favorite talent, Fabricio ‘Hokage’ Andrey.

Fabricio Andrey’s Background

Fabricio Andrey was born on March 5, 2000, in Manaus, Brazil’s capital of Amazonas. Manaus has produced its fair share in the world of Jiu-Jitsu and has produced champions both in grappling and MMA. The state Amazonas is no stranger to grappling talents, having produced the likes of Saulo and Xande Ribeiro, Ronaldo “Jacare” Souza, Bibiano Fernandes, and Lucas Pinheiro, to name a few.

Fabricio grew up in a household with a strong Capoeira background influence from his father, who was an instructor in the Brazilian dance-fighting martial arts. Having adapted to the scene, he quickly learned the style and added it to his activities, which improved his athletic ability at a young age. By 13, he started practicing Jiu-Jitsu under Melqui Galvao in a social project named Project Nandinho, near Fabricio’s home. Professor Melqui is one of the most successful instructors in the Manaus and Amazonas region and the world, producing young grappling superstars like Mica Galvao and Diogo Reis.   

By the time he was a green belt, Fabricio was already training as a professional athlete, with his focus projected on jiu-jitsu. As a blue belt, Fabricio decided to compete and test his abilities in the international circuit by joining the IBJJF World Championship in California. Moving towards his goal, he moved to São Paulo to improve his chances of earning a U.S. visa to compete and take a shot at the international grappling stage.

In São Paulo, Fabricio had the support of Dream Art Project (DAP), the subsidiary of Alliance Matriz Academy, which was affiliated with Professor Melqui Galvao. During his stay in São Paulo, Fabricio mostly trained under DAP. While keeping his roots connected with his first instructor, he earned his other two colored belt promotions (purple and brown) from Michale Langhi and Fabio Gurgel, two of the most respected coaches from Brazil under the Alliance Academy.

To pay respect to his first and longtime instructor, Fabricio traveled back to Manaus, where he received the honor of Melqui Galvao, who promoted him to black belt in August 2020.

Competitive Circuit

Fabricio Andrey is also known as “Hokage” because of his pre-fight antics in reference to the famous anime Naruto. He started making a name in the sport during his colored belt run while competing for the Alliance Team, in which he won some of the most prestigious tournaments in the IBJJF circuit, such as the IBJJF World Championship (blue and purple belt), Pan Championship (purple belt), European Championships (brown), and Brazilian Nationals (blue and purple).

Competing as a black belt, Fabricio yet again won the IBJJF Worlds, European Championships, the Brazilian Nationals, and the AJP Grand Slam in Miami and Rio De Janeiro. On top of his decorated achievements in his young career, he also won the ADCC South American trials in 2022 and 2024.

IBJJF World Championship

As a black belt, Fabricio won the IBJJF Worlds in 2021. After winning his first three matches via points and advantage, Fabricio managed to pull off a quick submission win in the finals of the IBJJF World Championship just 2 minutes into the match. This is one of Fabricio’s first significant achievements in the highest levels, with just a year into his black belt career.

Polaris 25: Win Against Livesey And Bodoni

Polaris is a European grappling tournament known for setting up exciting matches among high-level grapplers in the circuit. A physical specimen, Fabricio is not afraid to compete against grapplers two or more weight classes above his own. In fact, this enables him to showcase his explosive gameplay, which produces big takedowns.

One of Fabricio’s most notable wins was against one of the top grapplers today, two-time ADCC World Champion Giancarlo Bodoni. Despite the significant weight disadvantage, Fabricio managed to pull the win utilizing his dynamic game in their meeting at Polaris in 2023. On the other hand, he also beat heavyweight Owen Livesey in the quarterfinals, an accomplished British Judoka who is also a force to reckon with.

AIGA

The Amateur International Grappling Association (AIGA) is an international grappling competition composed of grapplers worldwide. It is one of the most thrilling tournaments today and has a unique competition format consisting of a team vs. team with 7 grapplers on each team from every weight class, similar to the ADCC Open. Like MMA, each bout consists of three rounds with five-minute rounds and one-minute break in between.

Fabricio competed under Team Modolfo alongside Dante Leon, Giancarlo Bodoni, and other key players. In his match against Xu Huaiqing, Fabricio submitted him with an impressive Americana while trapped in the rear triangle. Team Modolfo ultimately won the 2023 AIGA Champion’s League.

ADCC South American Trials

The ADCC South American trials are one of the toughest ADCC tournaments in the world. It is home to many talented South American grapplers striving to become the next top contender on the global stage. That being said, Fabricio won the 2022 and 2024 ADCC South American trials, earning his ticket to the ADCC World Championships.

ADCC South America has two trials, which means two invites will be given per weight class, providing grapplers from all divisions a second chance to qualify if they don’t succeed in the initial trial. During his 2022 ADCC South American trials run, Fabricio submitted all five of his opponents with electrifying finishes, including a flying triangle while his opponent sat in open guard, a rear naked choke, and a triangle armbar.

His 2024 ADCC trial run was smoother and more fluid than ever. Over the past few years, Fabricio has diligently refined his grappling skills. As a result, he submitted his opponents with leg locks, flying armbars from the standing overhook position, and triangle armbars from the back mount, each a testament to his hard work and dedication.

Conclusion

The future is bright for the young grappling star, and his move to the ONE grappling global stage will further propel his popularity in submission grappling for fight fans to indulge worldwide. Who do you want to see Hokage face in his ONE grappling debut? Let us know your thoughts.

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