“I’m truly excited” - Kevin Belingon ready to prove he still has a lot left in the tank with win over rival Bibiano Fernandes

Kevin Belingon is back and ready to show the world that he still has plenty of fight left in him.

It's been a rough few years for the former two-time ONE bantamweight MMA world champion. 'The Silencer' has come up short in his last five outings. Belingon has not seen his hand raised since a split decision win over Bibiano Fernandes at ONE: Heart of the Lion in November 2018.

But despite his recent struggles, the Lions Nation MMA product is feeling a renewed sense of excitement and confidence in his ability to get back into the win column and make one more run while competing at the highest level.

"This sport is in my blood, this has been my life and that’s why I’m truly excited to compete at a high level again," Belingon told ONE Championship.

Belingon's comeback tour begins on Thursday, February 20 when he steps inside the Lusail Sports Arena for ONE 171: Qatar. On that night, 'The Silencer' will go toe-to-toe with former 11-time ONE bantamweight world titleholder Bibiano Fernandes in what will be their unprecedented fifth meeting under the ONE banner.

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Kevin Belingon and Bibiano Fernandes have a long history in ONE Championship

Kevin Belingon and Bibiano Fernades have a history that dates back nearly a decade inside the Circle.

Their first-ever meeting went down at ONE: Dynasty of Champions in January 2016 when Fernandes landed a first-round submission victory over 'The Silencer' in Changsha, China.

Two years later, Belingon would even the series via a closely-contested split decision win over 'The Flash' at ONE: Heart of the Lion to unify his ONE interim bantamweight MMA world championship with Fernandes' undisputed crown.

Unfortunately, Belingon's title reign came to a crashing halt four months later after he was disqualified for landing an illegal elbow to the back of Fernandes' head at ONE: A New Era in March 2019.

With Fernandes taking back the title via DQ, ONE Championship booked another meeting between the two later that same year.

Fernandes once again scored a submission victory over Belingon, this time in the second round of their fourth clash at ONE: Century Part II.

Now, more than five years removed from their last meeting, Kevin Belingon and Bibiano Fernandes will battle it out once again.

ONE 171: Qatar will emanate from the Lusail Sports Arena in Qatar on Thursday, February 20. Head over to watch.onefc.com to learn more about how you can watch the event live.