“It’s still early” - Kevin Belingon shuts down retirement talk, says Bibiano Fernandes battle in Qatar won’t be his last

Kevin Belingon remains steadfast in his belief that he still has more to give in the sport of mixed martial arts.

The former ONE bantamweight MMA world champion is set to return to action at ONE 171, which takes place on Thursday, Feb. 20, at the stunning Lusail Sports Arena in Qatar.

There, he will step inside the Circle for the fifth time against longtime Brazilian rival and fellow ex-titleholder Bibiano Fernandes in a three-round clash.

With Fernandes publicly announcing that this will be his final outing before retirement, speculation has naturally turned to whether Belingon might follow suit.

But in an exclusive interview on The MMA Superfan, 'The Silencer' shut down any talk of hanging up his gloves, insisting that he still has plenty left in the tank.

He said:

“Talking about retirement, I feel like I will reach that point in my life. But for now, not yet. I can still fight.”

Watch the full interview here:

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Kevin Belingon focused on redemption

For now, Kevin Belingon’s primary focus is snapping his losing streak and reclaiming his place among the promotion’s bantamweight MMA elite.

His last victory came in November 2018 when he defeated Fernandes in their rematch to claim the undisputed ONE bantamweight MMA world championship.

Since then, he has suffered five consecutive losses, including a disqualification and a submission defeat to Fernandes in 2019.

Adding to his woes, the Lions Nation MMA co-founder has been out of action since November 2022 when he fell to a first-round TKO against Kim Jae Woong.

Now, Belingon is determined to prove that his signature strikes still pack a punch — starting with spoiling Fernandes’ farewell fight.

As for retirement? Belingon believes that decision is one only the athlete himself can make. And for now, he’s not ready to walk away.

He stated:

“I’ll be the only one who can really say when it’s time, but yeah, we will get there eventually. It’s still early, though.”