Kevin Belingon Scores Another Thunderous First-Round Knockout
"The Silencer" stole "Lightning's" thunder. TV: Check local listings for global broadcast | PPV: Official Livestream at oneppv.com
Posted by ONE Championship on Friday, August 18, 2017
In one of the evening’s most anticipated clashes, Team Lakay veteran striking ace Kevin “The Silencer” Belingon of Baguio City, Philippines, put in another epic performance. Belingon knocked out Reece “Lightning” McLaren of Queensland, Australia, with a ferocious offensive display in a battle of former world title challengers.
The two stars traded punches at the center of the ONE Championship to the roar of a packed Stadium Negara in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, on the main card of ONE: QUEST FOR GREATNESS, which took place on Friday, 18 August. Referee Olivier Coste waved the bout off officially at the 1:02 minute mark of round one.
It was another fearsome display of striking from Belingon. As if demanding for another shot at the bantamweight world title with his performances, Belingon authored his second-straight stoppage victory.
Just last April, Belingon trounced Finnish grappler Toni “Dynamite” Tauru with a stunning showcase of destructive punching power. It was an impressive display of just how relentless Belingon could be. This time, the Filipino starred in an encore against McLaren.
As expected, it was a terrific matchup, featuring arguably the division’s most fearsome striker against one of its most skilled grapplers.
Moments after the first bell, the two competitors met at the center of the cage. A spinning wushu side kick just missed for Belingon, as McLaren goaded him with a taunt. Belingon however, would have none of it, as he stalked his younger foe across the cage.
Cautious of McLaren’s world-class grappling capabilities, Belingon knew he couldn’t afford a ground war, and had to keep the fight standing. That’s when Belingon landed a monstrous right hand, landing flush on the chin as McLaren crashed to the canvas.
In a familiar scene, Belingon swarmed McLaren with an endless barrage of ground and pound. The Filipino-Australian McLaren simply had no answer for Belingon’s assault, as the Team Lakay standout forced the referee to intervene.
With the victory, Belingon improves his record to 16-5, winning his third-straight bout, while McLaren drops to 9-5.
Belingon and McLaren have both competed for the title, when they each faced reigning ONE Bantamweight World Champion Bibiano “The Flash” Fernandes on separate occasions. This emphatic victory for Belingon bodes well in making a case for another shot at ONE Championship gold, especially due to the exciting manner in which the bout ended.
