“We saw a weakness” - Kevin Belingon says Stephen Loman helped him solve Bibiano Fernandes’ intricate puzzle
Former ONE bantamweight MMA world champion Kevin Belingon said he got help from teammate Stephen Loman as he prepared for his fifth showdown set for next week against Brazilian rival Bibiano Fernandes.
'The Silencer' returns to action at ONE 171: Qatar on Feb. 20 at the Lusail Sports Arena in Lusail. He will battle 'The Flash' once again in a bantamweight MMA showdown, part of the event marking the return of the promotion to Qatar for the second straight year.
In an interview with The MMA Superfan, which dropped last month, Filipino Belingon shared the preparation he had for his fifth match with Fernandes, including how Lions Nation MMA teammate Loman, who defeated the former Brazilian champion in his last match in November 2022, helped him better understand the game of his opponent.
The 37-year-old Baguio-based fighter said:
"We all saw how good their fight went. I won’t go into too much details, but we saw a weakness in Bibiano, where Stephen used his background in wrestling. That’s it, for now. You can watch their fight, and you will also see his weakness."
Watch the interview below:
ONE 171: Qatar marks the first fight of Kevin Belingon since he lost to Kim Jae Woong of South Korea in November 2022. He will try to narrow the gap in his head-to-head matchup with Fernandes, which currently stands at 3-1 in favor of his rival.
Meanwhile, Fernandes' last match was that against Loman, he is also out to break two straight defeats in ONE Championship.
For more information on ONE 171: Qatar, check out onefc.com.
Kevin Belingon knows burden of proof is on him in fifth match against Bibiano Fernandes
Behind 3-1 in his head-to-head matchup against Bibiano Fernandes in ONE Championship, Kevin Belingon knows that the burden of proof lies in him to showcase that he still has it to stand toe-to-toe with his rival and can compete at a high level at ONE 171: Qatar.
He spoke about it in the same interview with The MMA Superfan, highlighting that he is determined to come up with a win in his scheduled match with Fernandes, but it is not without its pressure.
Belingon said:
"For now, there's a bit of pressure because I really want to avenge myself and prove that I can still go. I'm taking our previous fights as a lesson, and I'm now focused on our upcoming fight. I tried my hand in BJJ and I'm really happy with my teammates."
Of the three losses he has against Fernandes, the last came in October 2019 at ONE: Century Part II, where Kevin Belingon fell short in reclaiming the ONE bantamweight MMA belt, losing by submission (rear-naked choke) in the second round.