Former ONE Bantamweight World Champion Kevin “The Silencer” Belingon is looking forward to his first assignment of the year in his quest of reclaiming his gold-plated strap.
Belingon, who is coming off a tough loss to his arch-rival, ONE Bantamweight World Champion Bibiano “The Flash” Fernandes of Brazil in their fourth showdown at ONE: CENTURY in Tokyo, Japan last October, revealed that returning to his winning ways is one of his goals as a mixed martial arts competitor this 2020.
“I am now ready to get back. I am excited for my first match this year. I hope it comes soon and I get to know all about it early so I can prepare well for it,” Belingon said.
“That year taught me a lot of things. It’s a year of lessons. I believe I have internalized everything and I am ready to show that in my next matches.”
Belingon dropped his ONE Bantamweight crown in his trilogy with Fernandes at ONE: A NEW ERA in Japan last March to kick off his 2019 campaign before collecting his second-straight loss in their fourth encounter almost four months ago.
Belingon shared that those losses were bitter pills to swallow but those matches gave him the pointers in his game that he needs to focus on moving forward.
Aiming to be a more complete athlete for his future bouts, the 32-year-old Kiangan, Ifugao native shared that he focused more lately with his ground game to pair it with his outstanding striking.
“Losing is part of an athlete’s life. One thing I’ve learned from that tough year is how important it is to keep going, keep evolving as a person and as an athlete,” Belingon stated.
“After those matches, I’ve been working on my wrestling and grappling non-stop. I know that it will be crucial to the challenges that I’ll face this year,” he added.
“I’ve upgraded all areas of my game so I’ll be ready whoever I face.”
Completely healthy at the moment, Belingon also hopes to compete as many as possible inside the ONE Circle this year. The hard-hitting Filipino also stressed that he has no preferences and is willing to face any opponent in his division.
“I am healthy and I am physically fit. My target is to fight four times this year. I’ll just keep on training so when the call comes, I am ready,” Belingon shared.
“I am willing to compete against anyone in the division. You know me, I am not the type to handpick matches. That’s the reason why this early I am working to be in shape so I am ready whoever I face next.”
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