ONE Championship veteran Kevin Belingon has been quick to praise bantamweight champ John Lineker, despite losing to him at ONE: Inside the Matrix 3 back in 2020.
As Lineker prepares for his first title defense against Fabricio Andrade at ONE on Prime Video 3, Belingon describes what makes him special, telling ONE:
"I like John Lineker’s energy. Everyone knows his hands are very heavy, and they can take any opponent out in mere seconds. But his energy is underappreciated. He has good energy and it’s a different kind of energy he brings into his fights. And of course, he hits very hard. These qualities make him very special."
The current bantamweight king is known for pushing the pace from the opening bell, which is exactly what he did to claim the belt earlier this year against Bibiano Fernandes.
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Kevin Belingon has great respect for John Lineker
Not only does Belingon have respect for Lineker's skills inside the cage, but like many, he likes his energy as a person.
Lineker displayed his humility in a recent interview with ONE Championship:
“MMA changed my life, mainly financially, and today I can give my family a better life. Of course, [winning the world title] was a great achievement in my career. Thanks to that, I earn a little more today. People have also been looking for me more, and I have given more interviews. I go out on the street and people say, ‘Look at the champion.’ But, as a whole, it was MMA that changed my life, and the title was another achievement in my career.”
Despite his respect for his former foe, Belingon believes Lineker's walking into a trap against Andrade. He's facing a young, hungry fighter who has rattled off five consecutive wins since joining ONE.
For Kevin Belingon, the 34-year-old Filipino has been struggling as of late. Unfortunately, he's currently in the midst of a four-fight losing streak, during which he's been finished in every bout.
Be on the lookout for an announcement regarding Kevin Belingon's next fight, as he's yet to compete in 2022. The former contender hopes to make waves at featherweight this time around.