WATCH: Bibiano Fernandes closes out legendary career with absolute thriller against eternal rival Kevin Belingon at ONE 171

There was no more fitting way for Bibiano Fernandes to bid farewell to mixed martial arts than with his hand raised in triumph.

The former ONE bantamweight MMA world champion prevailed in his fifth encounter with longtime rival and fellow ex-divisional kingpin Kevin Belingon at ONE 171, which took place at a packed Lusail Sports Arena in Qatar last Thursday, Feb. 20.

Watch the highlights of the matchup below:

While the bout marked the end of Fernandes’ storied career, Belingon was determined to spoil the moment. “The Silencer” came out firing, attacking with spinning back kicks to the midsection and methodically targeting Fernandes’ lead leg.

Sensing the danger of a prolonged striking exchange, Fernandes wasted no time switching gears, securing his first takedown of the match.

Unfortunately for Fernandes, Belingon knew what was coming due to the element of familiarity. He executed a reversal, scrambling back to his feet and resuming his striking assault on his opponent.

The second frame followed a similar pattern. Fernandes stayed committed to his grappling, but Belingon showcased impressive takedown defense, repeatedly escaping and forcing the action back to striking range.

In the third and final round, Fernandes surprisingly got the better of the exchanges, with his punching combinations finding their mark.

As Belingon tried to fight fire with fire, Fernandes scored a momentum-shifting takedown in the dying seconds of the duel.

In the end, this last-ditch effort made by Fernandes spelled the difference as two of the three judges scored the contest in his favor to notch a split decision.

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Bibiano Fernandes closes book on illustrious run

Bibiano Fernandes walks away from the sport with an impressive 25-6 record.

Only a few individuals in the promotion’s history have matched Fernandes’ dominance. A mainstay since 2012, he made 15 appearances inside the Circle, with 13 of those outings being world title bouts across his two championship reigns.

Reports suggest Fernandes will become only the second athlete to be inducted into the ONE Hall of Fame, with the honor set to take place during ONE 172 at the Saitama Super Arena on March 23.