Kevin Belingon is the undisputed ONE bantamweight champion. Photo from ONE Championship
Kevin Belingon is set for his first title defense in a third meeting with Bibiano Fernandes on March 31 in Tokyo, Japan, Chatri Sityodtong, chairman and CEO of ONE Championship, announced Sunday.
Belingon edged Fernandes by split decision in their rematch that could’ve gone either way two months ago in Singapore to claim the world bantamweight belt.
The addition of Belingon-Fernandes 3 bolsters an already stacked New Era card that features the highly-awaited debuts of MMA legends Demetrious Johnson and Eddie Alvarez and the title rematch between lightweight king Eduard Folayang and Shinya Aoki which will be the main event.
BREAKING NEWS: I am excited to announce the trilogy fight between current ONE Bantamweight World Champion Kevin Belingon and former ONE Bantamweight World Champion Bibiano Fernandes for March 31 in Tokyo! #WeAreONE
— Chatri Sityodtong (@yodchatri) January 27, 2019
Also part of the inaugural show in Japan are the likes of atomweight queen Angela Lee and two-division champion Aung La N Sang.
The pressure to retain the title is now on Belingon and Folayang after two of their Team Lakay teammates in Joshua Pacio and Geje Eustaquio have yielded their respective belts in just a six-day span.
Pacio lost the strawweight strap to Japanese strongman Yosuke Saruta on January 19 in Jakarta, Indonesia while Eustaquio surrendered the flyweight crown after absorbing a unanimous decision to Brazilan rival Adriano Moraes two nights ago in Manila.