“The Silencer” is set to challenge ONE Bantamweight Champion and world-ranked bantamweight Bibiano Fernandes to open the new year.
A reliable source has confirmed to Tiebreaker Times that Team Lakay standout Kevin Belingon, a top contender in ONE’s stacked bantamweight division, will face Fernandes during ONE Championship’s first show for 2016 to be held in Changsa, China.
In a report by Baguio-based publication Baguio Midland Courier, Team Lakay head coach Mark Sangiao stated that Belingon was expecting to fight during ONE Championship’s year-end show Spirit of Champions last month but a bout could not be finalized. Instead, a championship bout against Fernandes was an opportunity the Philippines’ top MMA team could not pass on.
The Ifugao-based fighter last fought a year ago during ONE Championship’s Warrior’s Way card held at the SM Mall of Asia Arena in Pasay City. “The Silencer” was able to bounce back and take a unanimous decision victory over Japanese fighter Koetsu Okazaki (10-4-1). Currently, Belingon is 13-4 in his pro MMA career, winning four of his last six fights.
The champion though has been unstoppable in his stay with ONE Championship.
Brazilian Bibiano “The Flash” Fernandes has won all six of his bouts under the ONE banner and has successfully defended his bantamweight championship five times. Fernandes fought in Manila during Warrior’s Way as well. Fightmatrix’s #4 ranked bantamweight in the world was able to submit Korean Dae Hwan Kim in the event with a rear naked choke in the second round. Last July, the Brazilian knocked out Finnish fighter Toni Tauro (10-2-1) in Myanmar during ONE’s Kingdom of Warriors in Myanmar.
“The Flash” is currently 18-3 in his MMA career. He has not lost a bout since December 31, 2010, during K-1 Dynamite! 2010. He is riding a ten-fight winning streak, with half coming by way of finishes.
This is expected to be a quality match-up to start off the new year. A formal announcement of the bout is set to be made early January 2016.
Will “The Silencer” give another world championship to the Philippines? Or will “The Flash” continue to plow through the competition?Sound off in our comments section!
