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Kevin Belingon opened up about the pressure he's facing heading into his upcoming fight against Bibiano Fernandes.
In Nov. 2019, Belingon secured one of the biggest wins of his ONE Championship tenure, a split decision against Fernandes for the bantamweight MMA world title.
The Filipino superstar has since endured the toughest chapter of his fighting career featuring five consecutive losses, including four inside the distance and one by disqualification.
Next Thursday, Feb. 20, Belingon has an opportunity to get back on track at ONE 171: Qatar against Fernandes, an opponent he's fought four times in ONE.
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During an interview with The MMA Superfan, Belingon had this to say about the pressure he's facing heading into his upcoming fight:
"Personally, there is still pressure, but that’s normal. As an athlete, it’s only natural to feel some kind of pressure. But it’s more of excitement. I just need to stay focused, and my confidence should be 100% for this fight."
Similiar to Kevin Belingon, Bibiano Fernandes is coming off an extended layoff, with his last fight being a unanimous decision loss against Stephen Loman in Nov. 2022
ONE 171: Qatar will take place inside the Lusail Sports Arena in Lusail, Qatar. The Feb. 20 event can be seen for free via watch.one.fc.com.
The upcoming spectacle will be headlined by Jonathan Haggerty defending his bantamweight kickboxing world title against Chinese superstar Wei Rui.
As for the co-main event, Jarred Brooks looks to upgrade his ONE interim strawweight MMA world title to undisputed gold in a trilogy bout against the division's king, Joshua Pacio.
Watch Belingon's entire interview with The MMA Superfan below:
The history between Kevin Belingon and Bibiano Fernandes
Kevin Belingon and Bibiano Fernandes first fought in Jan. 2016. Fernandes emerged victorious by first-round submission to retain his ONE bantamweight MMA world title.
The second meeting between the world-class bantamweight was in Nov. 2018. This time around, Belingon had his hand raised by a split decision to dethrone Fernandes of ONE gold.
In 2019, Belingon and Fernandes fought two more times consecutively, with the latter winning both inside the distance (third-round knockout and second-round submission).
At ONE 171: Qatar, Belingon looks to secure his second win against Fernandes, potentially setting up a historic sixth meeting.
