ONE OF THE top rivalries at ONE Championship gets another serving as bantamweights Bibiano “The Flash” Fernandes of Brazil and Kevin “The Silencer” Belingon of the Philippine go at it once again in a title fight later this year.
Part of another stacked card set for Japan on Oct. 13, reigning ONE world bantamweight champion Fernandes and erstwhile champ Belingon meet for a fourth time under the promotion.
The title fight is included in “ONE: Century” set for Tokyo which celebrates ONE Championship’s 100th show since opening shop early in the decade.
ONE: Century also includes Singapore’s Angela Lee against China’s Xiong Jingnan for the ONE women’s atomweight title, the Philippines’ Brandon Vera versus Myanmar’s Aung La N Sang for the ONE light heavyweight title, and grand prix finals in kickboxing and lightweight and flyweight divisions.
ONE chairman and founder Chatri Sityodtong made the announcement.
Messrs. Fernandes and Belingon last met in March this year also in Japan where the former reclaimed the bantamweight belt over the latter by way of disqualification after Mr. Belingon was punished for illegal strikes at the back of Mr. Fernandes’ head.
Both fighters did not like how the match ended and sans a conclusive ending to the fight, a mandatory rematch was set by ONE. — Michael Angelo S. Murillo
