Chatri Sityodtong: Kevin Belingon Will Have To Earn Another Title Shot

In the last day, Chatri Sityodtong has announced that ONE Championship will soon return to hosting global events from next month. This means more big fights featuring the familiar faces that ONE fans have become familiar with. The ONE CEO has emphasised that we will see lots of title fights across all sports: mixed martial arts, kickboxing and Muay Thai, before the end of the year.

Kevin Belingon vs Bibiano Fernandes 4?

Perhaps one of the biggest rivalries in ONE Championship history is Kevin Belingon and Bibiano Fernandes. The two first fought for the ONE bantamweight title in 2016 and since then, they have faced each other three more times. Each time they’ve fought, the ONE bantamweight title was on the line.

However, Belingon has lost three times to his rival. Most recently, losing to Fernandes by submission at ONE: Century last October. Despite the loss, some fans are calling for another rematch between ‘The Silencer’ and ‘The Flash’. Speaking to SCMP MMA‘s Nick Atkin however, ONE CEO Sityodtong said that the Team Lakay stalwart will now have to earn another title shot.

“I think Kevin’s going to have earn another title shot,” said Sityodtong. “But of course, the world wants to see them go at it one more time, definitely. Because it’s razor thin and [Bibiano]’s won by finishes as well. All their fights have been just so exciting. So I think Kevin’s gotta win a couple before we consider that.”

“He’s A Threat Any Day”

Sityodtong believes Belingon will come back stronger. After all, it wasn’t that long ago that he held the ONE bantamweight title.

“Kevin on any given day is a very, very dangerous contender for anybody,” Sityodtong continued. “Incredible striking, cardio, knockout power, speed. He’s got those Team Lakay kicks and spinning kicks. He’s got great takedown defence now. He’s a threat any day.”

Can Kevin Belingon work his way back up to another shot at the ONE bantamweight title?

See also:

Tagged: , , , ,

Leave comment

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.