New father Kevin Belingon has "added fire" ahead of highly anticipated return to Circle

‘The Silencer’ Kevin Belingon is making his highly anticipated return to the Circle with “added fire.” The 34-year-old is looking to break out of a three-fight skid to reinsert himself in the world title conversation.

Now ranked No.2 in ONE Championship’s bantamweight division, Kevin Belingon faces rising South Korean star Kwon Won Il in the co-main event of ONE: Winter Warriors II, a previously recorded event from the Singapore Indoor Stadium which airs via tape delay this Friday, December 17.

The reason for Kevin Belingon’s renewed focus on his career is that he has recently become a father. He and his wife welcomed daughter Kelsey to the world earlier this year. He says it has changed everything for him.

Speaking to ONE Championship in a recent interview, Kevin Belingon explained why he’s more motivated than ever to reach his dreams in this sport and how having a child has changed his outlook on life.

“Of course I’m truly motivated. Now I have a kid to support and that’s where the added fire and confidence stems from. If you have a fight and then you think about having a family back home who’s there for you, you really want to do well for them. That’s the difference between being a single man to being a father and a husband. I think we can say that this is a new start for me.

“I’m really happy. The feeling is indescribable. It’s really different. I can’t explain it. Now after training, I go home to see my daughter and all the fatigue and the stress goes away. It’s a different joy having a daughter.”

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The road back to the world title for Kevin Belingon

Kevin Belingon hasn’t won a fight since 2018, when he defeated the division’s king Bibiano Fernandes to become the undisputed ONE bantamweight world champion.

Of course, Fernandes snatched the title back in a trilogy match months later and then again in a much-clamored fourth meeting. Then, No.1-ranked bantamweight John Lineker finished Kevin Belingon via technical knockout in October 2020.

Needless to say, it has certainly been a difficult stretch for ‘The Silencer.’ According to the 34-year-old former world champion, however, things are about to turn around for the better.

Juggling his career as an MMA fighter and being a family man, Kevin Belingon says he’s struck the right balance between the two and he’s coming into his next fight more focused than ever.

“There’s an adjustment for me of course, back then after training I’ll be hanging around with the boys but now with a family, all that time goes to them. After training, I’m on the way home to attend to my wife and kids. But it doesn’t really affect my training, I always find time for my family and my training.”

Motivation can come from many sources. For Kevin Belingon, fighting for his growing family is enough to propel him forward to make another run at the bantamweight belt.