Martin Nguyen (left), ONE Championship chairman Chatri Sityodtong and Kevin Belingon during the ONE: Reign of Kings presscon. Photo from ONE Championship
Expect fireworks when two explosive fighters in Kevin Belingon and Martin Nguyen face off for the ONE Interim bantamweight title in ONE: Reign of Kings Friday at Mall of Asia Arena.
Their world championship bout headlines an action-packed card that also features Shinya Aoki of Japan and Shannon Wiratchai for the lightweight belt, legendary Brazilian fighter Renzo Gracie and hometown hero Eduard Folayang.
“This [Belingong-Nguyen] matchup gives me goosebumps and I know everyone is excited to see how it unfolds, said ONE Championship chairman Chatri Sityodtong during the press conference on Tuesday at City of Dreams Manila.
“When you put two aggressive and explosive strikers in the cage together, it is sure to produce fireworks.”
Belingon is ready to prove his worth in front of the hometown crowd in what he feels is the biggest bout of his career—and could also be the toughest as he goes up against Nguyen, who stunned the Filipino fans the last time he was here.
“I took this challenge against Martin Nguyen because I wanted to prove that I never back down from any challenge no matter how big or small,” said Belingon on Tuesday.
Nguyen dethroned Folayang with a stunning second-round knockout, becoming ONE Championship’s first two-division champion November last year.
He has experienced steady success since that fight at MOA Arena, but he said he remains hungry as ever to make history with three-division world titles.
“I have complete and total respect for a martial artist with his values and principles. In a huge way, I see a lot of similarities between us. We are both hungry, and we are both determined for victory,” said Nguyen, dubbed “The Situ-Asian.”
Folayang, meanwhile, is also determined to get back to the top of the highly-competitive lightweight division and beating Aziz Pahrudinov will be the best start.
“The ONE lightweight division is incredibly deep and with lots of talent. Getting to the top is very hard, but once you are there, it’s a great feeling. I am determined to get back to the top. I can face every opponent, whether they are undefeated or not. I am willing to go in there and go to work,” said Folayang.