“I didn’t put my talent on the side” - Bibiano Fernandes speaks about the legacy he’ll leave behind after his final match at ONE 171

Bibiano Fernandes is leaving mixed martial arts with his head up high and no regrets. 'The Flash', considered the most decorated bantamweight of all time in ONE Championship, will return one last time at ONE 171: Qatar in less than 24 hours.

Fittingly sharing the Circle with the Brazilian in his career swansong is his eternal nemesis and fellow former bantamweight MMA world champion Kevin Belingon.

These two rivals have tussled four times in the past, with the fifth and final installment expected to blow the roof off Lusail Sports Arena in Doha.

Fighting professionally since 2004, Bibiano Fernandes notched 24 wins in 30 career matches. This also includes nine successful world title defenses, a record that still stands in the promotion today.

In an exclusive interview with CBC, the 44-year-old said he is extremely satisfied with his achievements and the legacy he leaves behind:

"I’m very humble in the way I am. But in the fight world, I’m one of the top there, like top of the planet. I’m the only one in my weight division to have defended my belt 10 times. That’s how much talent God gave me. But I didn’t put my talent on the side. I use it to motivate myself and help people along the way."

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Bibiano Fernandes says desire to go out on top fueled his comeback fight

Bibiano Fernandes acknowledged that his prime years are now over after losing his world title to John Lineker and dropping another bout against Stephen Loman.

While he no longer has anything to prove at this point, the 44-year-old icon said he wants to leave the game on his terms by getting his hand raised one final time.

'The Flash' told ONE:

"If you really love the sport, you would want to keep it going. You would want to keep pushing. Tell Father Time ‘F*** you, let’s go!’ That’s the thing, I love the sport. That’s the reason why I kept it going. I had a lot of challenges. But I pushed those all aside."

Watch ONE 171: Qatar live on Feb. 20 via watch.onefc.com.