Belingon assures: ‘My confidence remains strong’

Former ONE Bantamweight World Champion Kevin “The Silencer” Belingon is ready to move forward after suffering the worst loss in his otherwise illustrious career.

The no. 2-ranked bantamweight can chart another shot at the world title when he faces South Korean “Pretty Boy” Kwon Won Il at the previously recorded ONE: Winter Warriors II this Friday at the Singapore Indoor Stadium.

Coming off his first-ever knockout loss against John “Hands of Stone” Lineker, the 34-year-old competitor insists that he has more to give. And he plans to perform impressively versus Kwon.

“All is going well. I’m ready. I’ve prepared well. My confidence is unshaken. I feel even after that loss, the confidence in myself remains strong,” the University of the Cordilleras alumnus said. “I felt like I wasn’t the one who was fighting Lineker – I felt like I lost focus on that match. I’ll treat that as a lesson.

“After that fight, I rested up for a bit, then went to the gym to work. I’ve been waiting for this match for a long time, and we’re finally here. My confidence never changed.”

With his back against the wall, the fighting pride of Kiangan, Ifugao used that setback as motivation to rekindle his ONE journey almost ten years after his debut in the Circle.

“I feel like I’m a lot stronger, honestly. I’m only hungrier and more determined to bounce back after those losses,” the fighter with a 20-8 MMA record continued.

“I’m still motivated. The fire is still there, so you can just wait this December to see how much I’ve improved from that fight.”

Just how much is left in the tank of the Team Lakay mainstay will be revealed when he encounters Kwon – who, like him, is one of the more successful strikers in the division.

“Pretty Boy” already has five knockout wins since joining ONE. While Belingon respects his opponent’s punching prowess, he’s still confident that he can compete with the Korean in the stand-up game.

“I think I have more weapons than him. I don’t want to belittle Kwon Won Il because he has good hands, great boxing. But I think I have a lot more in my arsenal,” the Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and sanda practitioner said.

“I believe my striking is better, but I have to take note of his punches. We have a game plan prepared for him.”

Catch the main card of ONE: WINTER WARRIORS II on One Sports or One Sports+ at 8:30 p.m. Philippine Standard Time (PHT) on Friday, 17 December. The event will also stream on ONE’s YouTube channel and the ONE Super App beginning with the lead card at 7:30 p.m.