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An explosive showdown between former ONE bantamweight MMA world champions Kevin Belingon and Bibiano Fernandes is set to grace the Lusail Sports Arena when ONE Championship returns to the Middle East with a gem of a card.
The former, for his part, is thrilled to renew his rivalry against his longtime rival and pull one back when the action gets underway at ONE 171: Qatar next Thursday, Feb. 20.
Speaking to ONE Championship ahead of fight night, the Lions Nation MMA admitted he's beyond thrilled to return to the global stage for this impending war:
"The excitement is ten out of ten. It's been two years since I last competed. I'm excited because I got the chance to get back at him and even the score against Bibiano."
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While he won't exactly level the series, a victory for Kevin Belingon could help him reassert his position in the talent-jammed bantamweight MMA bracket.
The 37-year-old Filipino striking savant owns several notable wins against powerhouse names that have plied their trade in the division, including Muin Gafurov, Martin Nguyen, Yusup Saadulaev and Andrew Leone.
He will be in search of career win No.21 when he returns for the fifth chapter of his rivalry against Fernandes inside the Lusail Sports Arena.
ONE 171: Qatar, topped by a ONE bantamweight kickboxing world title showdown between defending king Jonathan Haggerty and top-ranked Wei Rui, will be available live via watch.onefc.com next Thursday, Feb. 20.
Kevin Belingon and Bibiano Fernandes' lengthy rivalry in ONE Championship
'The Silencer' and 'The Flash' have shared the circle on four occasions, with the Brazilian leading their head-to-head showdown at three wins to one.
The then-kingpin defended his gold against the Filipino in their first meeting by way of kimura in January 2016. However, Belingon flipped the script and edged out Fernandes by split decision to secure his spot atop the throne.
Unfortunately, things didn't quite pan out well for Kevin Belingon in the two times that followed.
He was disqualified in their third meeting at ONE: A New Era due to accidental strikes at the back of the head. Then, at ONE: Century Part II in October 2019, he suffered a rear-naked choke loss to 'The Flash'.
