“I kept training and didn’t waste that time” - Kevin Belingon never rested on his laurels during time away from the Circle

Kevin Belingon is finally making a comeback on February 20 at ONE 171: Qatar against long-time rival Bibiano Fernandes, but this matchup took a long while to come. Two long years without a call, but 'The Silencer' never let himself fall behind.

Unwilling to sit around and twiddle his thumbs, the former ONE bantamweight MMA world champion stayed locked in, training alongside his Lions Nation MMA teammates and sharpening his weapons for whenever the call came.

Ahead of his ONE 171 outing, Kevin Belingon virtually sat down with Nissi Icasiano of The MMA Superfan for a candid interview. On the discussion of the battle between frustration for being unable to fight and hunger for the next opportunity, here's what Belingon had to say:

"I think both feelings were fighting each other. But I really wanted to get back in the game, so I kept training and didn't waste that time. I knew I also had to help my other teammates who were fighting. So at least I stayed active in training and just poured out all my stress on the punching bag."

Watch the full interview below:

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"My training just went on" - Former bantamweight MMA champ Kevin Belingon says he kept grinding during time off the Circle

It's human nature to lose motivation when things don't go their way, but Kevin Belingon took pains to remain committed. Instead of letting inactivity eat at him, he kept his intensity high by acting as a training partner for his teammates' fight camps:

"I was a bit stressed because it was almost two years already and I hadn't gotten a fight offer yet. But thankfully, my teammates have fought previously, so I was still actively training as their training and sparring partner. First, there was Eduard (Folayang), Joshua (Pacio), Jeremy (Pacatiw), and then Danny (Kingad) who fought. So my training just went on."

Now that his time has finally come, Kevin Belingon will be settling his long-standing rivalry once and for all as he goes up against Bibiano Fernandez for the fifth time at ONE 171: Qatar. Fans all over the world can catch the action via watch.onefc.com.