Belingon eyes huge win in Manila, ONE title shot

ONE Championship: Kings of Destiny at Mall of Asia Arena last April 21. Photo by Tristan Tamayo/INQUIRER.net

Winner of three straight bouts, Kevin Belingon believes that scoring a decisive win against Kevin Chung at ONE: Legends of the World will be the bout to put him in the conversation for the promotion’s bantamweight title once again.

“Make no mistake about it: my performances in the cage as of late are a message to the organization and to the reigning ONE Bantamweight Champion. I am coming for that belt, and no one can stop me. Whoever they put in front of me, I will be looking to destroy. I am a man on a mission,” he said.

Belingon (16-5) failed in his first attempt to dislodge reigning ONE Bantamweight Champion Bibiano Fernandez from his throne in their clash in January last year.

But since that setback, the 30-year-old has made tremendous strides, racking up thrilling victories against Muin Gafurov, Toni Tauru, and finally, Reece McLaren last August.

And on November 10 at Mall of Asia Arena, Belingon is seeking to add Chung (5-0) to his growing list of victims as he eyes another crack at the title.

“My mindset remains to showcase my skills and remain focused on executing the game plan. My team and I have devised a tremendous strategy in dealing with my next opponent. Even though I have scored some recent knockouts, I am not going in there recklessly,” he said. “If at any point, I sense that my opponent is ready to go, and the knockout presents itself, I’m like a shark in a fish tank. There is no doubt I will go for the finish, and I will end matters quickly. I will strike my opponent until the referee pulls me off him.”

Belingon is well aware of the caliber of the American Chung and the Baguio native made it clear that he’s not taking his upcoming match for granted.

“My opponent is not easy, and I am not taking him for granted, which is why I am completely focused on my upcoming bout this November 10. This is a dangerous game we play, and we cannot underestimate anybody. I need to be at my absolute best so I can turn in another great performance for the fans. Competing in front of my hometown crowd, the pressure is on to score another huge victory,” he said.

But Belingon is looking at this as a stepping stone in getting one more shot again at Fernandes as he looks forward on showcasing how capable he is joining the ranks as ONE’s world champions.

“I want to show everybody that I am the real title challenger-in-waiting. I have realized my mistakes in my first encounter with Bibiano, and I have worked hard to erase those flaws. He is a great world champion, but I feel things will go differently if we ever meet again. The time will come when I will be able to showcase my improvements,” he said.

“I know I will meet Bibiano again in that cage, and when that day comes, I need to be prepared. There is not a day that has passed that I have not thought about that first bout. But for now, my objective is to win against Kevin Chung on November 10.”