“Now it’s time” - Brazilian legend Bibiano Fernandes all geared up for his swansong at ONE 171 against rival Kevin Belingon

Bibiano Fernandes (left) and Kevin Belingon (right). [Photos from ONE Championship]
Bibiano Fernandes (left) and Kevin Belingon (right). [Photos from ONE Championship]

Bibiano Fernandes is ready to close his legendary career with the one fighter he shared a legacy with.

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The Brazilian legend will face off against fierce rival Kevin Belingon in a bantamweight MMA classic for the fifth time in his career at the stacked ONE 171: Qatar card on Feb. 20 at Lusail Sports Arena.

Taking to Instagram, Fernandes showed he's ready to take on his fellow former ONE bantamweight MMA world champion in the final fight of his illustrious MMA run.

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Bibiano Fernandes posted:

"Hard work is done, now it's showtime! Let's go Team Flash. Thank you for all your support."

Fernandes is arguably the greatest world champion in ONE Championship history, and the way he carried the bantamweight MMA division is nothing short of mythical.

'The Flash' is an 11-time ONE bantamweight MMA world champion, and his mark of 11 wins in world title wins remains a record in ONE Championship.

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The closest fighter with that many world title wins in the promotion is double-champ Regian Eersel, the ONE lightweight kickboxing and Muay Thai world champion, with nine.

Fernandes also defended the ONE bantamweight MMA world title seven consecutive times, tying him for most in the department with ONE women's strawweight MMA world champion Xiong Jing Nan and former ONE bantamweight Muay Thai world champion Nong-O Hama.

While his run atop the division is the stuff of legends, his rivalry with Belingon was a mainstay of ONE Championship's early boom period in the mid-2010s.

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Fernandes and Belingon squared fought over the ONE bantamweight MMA world championship four times, with the former taking a 3-1 lead in their head-to-head meetings.

Tickets for ONE 171 are available at Q-Tickets, while the entire card will be streamed live at watch.onefc.com.


Bibiano Fernandes says he's determined to pass on his knowledge to the next generation of fighters

Bibiano Fernandes already has his retirement plans laid out.

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Fernandes, a five-time BJJ world champion, said his next goal is to focus on teaching and coaching the next generation of fighters at his gym at Flash Academy Martial Arts in Canada.

In an interview with CBC, Fernandes said:

"Jiu-jitsu and mixed martial arts is a mindset. We need to understand how we absorb the information, and how we pass the information to the people. A lot of people think fighters just fight. It’s not like that. Mixed martial arts is a way to live. It’s a way to understand how I can pass the knowledge to the next generation."

Follow One Championship News, Schedule & Results at Sportskeeda.

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Edited by Tejas Rathi
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