‘I’m Not Done’ – Kevin Belingon Eager To Prove Himself Against Longtime Rival Bibiano Fernandes At ONE 171: Qatar
On Thursday, February 20, Filipino MMA icon Kevin “The Silencer” Belingon will aim to conclude his epic rivalry against Brazilian legend Bibiano “The Flash” Fernandes with a victory at ONE 171: Qatar.
Set to go down at Lusail Sports Arena, that bout will mark the fifth meeting between the former ONE Bantamweight MMA World Champions, with Fernandes holding a 3-1 advantage.
It will also be the final fight of Fernandes’ lengthy and decorated career, so Belingon knows the time is now to pick up one more win over his longtime adversary.
“The Silencer” told onefc.com:
“This is definitely my last chance against Bibiano, so I’ll certainly do everything to get this win.”
After four thrilling battles against Fernandes already in the books, Belingon is certain that he possesses the skills and physicality to match him in all phases of the fight – whether they’re grappling on the ground or trading leather on the feet.
The key to victory at ONE 171, he said, is his mindset:
“It’s no secret that Bibiano’s a fighter who’s really good at the ground and has really decent striking as well. But I guess if there’s a thing that I really need to work on for this fight, it’s my confidence.
“I have to come in 100 percent confident in my skills and my ability to hang with him wherever the fight goes. I believe I can match him with my own weapons, so it’s all a matter of confidence.”
Like his opponent, Belingon is a battle-tested veteran and one of the organization’s longest-tenured superstars.
But now, after 21 unforgettable fights in ONE, including five massive World Title contests, the Filipino finds himself on the longest losing skid of his career.
He hopes to not only defeat “The Flash” but also show he still has what it takes to compete against the bantamweight MMA division’s upper echelon:
“What I want to prove is that I’m not done. I’m still strong. I can still hit hard. I can still fight. I want to show in this fight that I’ve improved.
“I still feel like I belong with the best of this division. I believe that I’m still quick enough, I’m strong enough, and I can hang around and go toe-to-toe with the best fighters in this division, the younger fighters in this division.”
Belingon Focused On Game Plan, Targets Finish
While Kevin Belingon is renowned for his electrifying and wildly entertaining style of fighting, he knows that against Bibiano Fernandes, he’ll need to remain patient, calm, and collected.
He admitted that in his defeats, he’s been susceptible to losing sight of the game plan – a mistake he can’t afford to make again:
“I have to stick with my game plan. I don’t want to rush. I don’t want to be careless.
“We’ve seen in the past that if I rush, that’s where I usually get caught. We really have a solid game plan for this fight, and it’s all about sticking with the game plan.”
Even though he’s placing extra focus on his carefully devised strategy, “The Silencer” is also targeting an emphatic finish in Qatar.
He added:
“In this fight, I don’t want to leave it to the judges. I have to get a clear edge and finish Bibiano here.
“If there’s an opportunity to finish, I’ll be taking it, but I won’t be rushing. I’ll search for an opening and take it from there. The most important thing is to stick to my game plan and dominate this fight.”
