Former ONE Bantamweight World Champion Kevin “The Silencer” Belingon remains optimistic about his future, even despite going through a few rough outings.
The 36-year-old promises to listen to his body if he feels like he can’t partake in mixed martial arts anymore, but he doesn’t see that happening anytime soon.
“I don’t really feel [my age]. Even though we’re getting old, I don’t feel any pressure,” he said.
“For me, I’m still strong. I want to prove that I can still hang with the best. If my body says that I can’t do it anymore, then I’ll listen to it, but now I feel like I can still compete.”
Belingon is hopeful that his move to Lions Nation MMA will turn the tide for his luck. After all, changes – for the most part – are good, and this could be the case for Belingon.
The Kiangan, Ifugao native was with the famed Team Lakay squad ever since he started his career. So, a different scenery plus different perspectives from new coaches could be the boost he needs.
That’s why he’s working diligently in his new gym, even without a scheduled match on the horizon.
“Now it’s all about focusing on the things that I’m lacking. I have to stay sharp all the time. I have to train consistently so when I get a scheduled fight, I’ve already started and I won’t have a hard time training,” he said.
“One thing I’m focusing on is my BJJ. There’s [professor] Gibran Langbayan, who’s always helping us out. So I’m really focusing on my jiu-jitsu. I’m also polishing my striking, [and] we’re working on different techniques while waiting for a fight.”
While he doesn’t know what the future holds for him and his career, Belingon believes that he got one thing back since moving to Lions Nation MMA – his confidence.
“I can say now that I’m confident. In my previous bouts, I believe I lost my confidence on the ground. I was happy escaping and defending, but this time I believe I’m 100 percent confident with my ground game,” he said.
“I want to show in my next fight everything that I’ve learned. That’s what I want to prove, particularly to our doubters.”
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