Former ONE Bantamweight World Champion Kevin “The Silencer” Belingon is looking to shift the direction of his career upwards as he is set to go all out in his return.
The Team Lakay star is set to lock horns with South Korean standout Kim Jae Woong at ONE ON PRIME VIDEO 4 which emanates at the Singapore Indoor Stadium on November 19.
Belingon has lost his previous four bouts against top opposition, but despite his string of defeats, the hard-hitting Filipino remains optimistic that he will see the light at the end of the tunnel in Singapore.
Belingon’s string of setbacks started back in March 2019 when he lost his ONE Bantamweight World Title from a disqualification due to an illegal strike in his trilogy with Former ONE Bantamweight king Bibiano “The Flash” Fernandes at ONE: A NEW ERA in Japan.
7 months later, he failed to recapture his crown in his fourth clash with Fernandes when he got submitted by the Brazilian legend in the second round at ONE: CENTURY 2.
After a rough 2019, having his hand raised in triumph remained elusive to Belingon in the next two years, as he dropped a second-round TKO loss to Former ONE Bantamweight Champion John “Hands of Stone” Lineker of Brazil back in October of 2020 and another second-round defeat in the hands of South Korean Kwon Won Il last December.
Although his back is against the wall, the 35-year-old Filipino superstar still has his winning mindset, putting his training to the next level as he expects a tough three-round encounter against Woong.
“I’m very excited for this fight. This is a big opportunity for me to show all the adjustments and the hard work that I’ve been putting inside the gym,” Belingon shared.
“I will work my way back to the top. I want to prove to myself and to all my fans that I still have what it takes to become a World Champion again,” Belingon added.
Belingon admits that despite failing to achieve victory in his previous bouts, the setbacks made him realize the things that he was lacking and needs to be improved. It also taught him how to become a better martial artist.
“Those four straight losses were hard to swallow at first, but as a professional athlete, you need to maximize those situations and learn something from them,” said Belingon.
“I admit, the main factor in those four fights was my lack of confidence. It wasn’t the same compared to before. That’s why in this fight, that issue won’t show again. Everyone will see a more confident Kevin Belingon inside the ONE Circle,” Belingon shared.
Facing Belingon is the 29-year-old Woong who is also looking for his first win this 2022.
After impressively starting his ONE Championship campaign with 3 wins and 1 loss which includes a highlight-reel KO win over former two division World Champion Martin “The Situ-Asian” Nguyen, the hard-hitting South Korean collected back-to-back setbacks this year.
Belingon is fully aware of the danger that is in front of him in less than three weeks’ time, but with a positive attitude and improved confidence, he is motivated to end his losing streak in an impressive fashion.
“My opponent is very strong. He also wants to end his losing streak and finish the year on top. That’s why I’m honing all my arsenals for this fight,” said Belingon.
“This is an exciting showdown that everyone wants to see. I know this will be tough, but I’m very much prepared for this challenge. I will do everything to have my hand raised on November 19,” Belingon ended.
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