There were plenty of exciting fighters who figured in electrifying matches inside the ONE cage in 2018 but easily among the best were Danny Kingad and Kevin Belingon.
Former ONE Flyweight World Title challenger Danny “The King” Kingad needed a big performance to defeat Japanese newcomer Yuya “Little Piranha” Wakamatsu at ONE: Conquest of Heroes in September.
The battle between Bibiano “The Flash” Fernandes and Kevin “The Silencer” Belingon was not just a huge World Champion versus World Champion bout. It was Belingon’s opportunity to avenge his loss to the Brazilian in his first world title tilt back in 2016.
The 22-year-old Kingad produced the goods to claim the victory and cement himself as one of the premier contenders to the title held by teammate Geje “Gravity” Eustaquio.
Wakamatsu showed how dangerous a contender he is with a remarkable debut display that pushed Kingad to the limit. The Japanese contender impressed with his boxing skills as he dropped “The King” in the opening round.
It seemed as if the Filipino star was on his way to a stoppage defeat, but Kingad showed his grittiness and will to win by scrambling his way out of danger before eventually turning the tables on his opponent with the aid of his ever-improving grappling game.
Kingad turned to his wushu kicks to keep Wakamatsu at bay in the second round as he gained a much-needed foothold in the contest, and he proceeded to dominate the third and final frame with a combination of hard leg kicks and powerful takedown attempts.
The breathless three-round battle eventually went all the way to the scorecards, with Kingad earning the verdict via unanimous decision after a bout to remember in Jakarta.
Belingon produced the best performance of his career at ONE: Heart of the Lion to defeat the most dominant world champion in ONE Championship history and capture the ONE Bantamweight World Title in the process.
Belingon showcased his famed wushu striking to its fullest, as he peppered the defending champion with strikes, both from long range via his spectacular kicking arsenal, and up close with his rapier-like punches.
The biggest factor in the contest was the Filipino’s vastly-improved ground game and takedown defense, which helped him defend attacks on the ground and scramble away from Fernandes’ black-belt, world-class Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu skills.
With Fernandes unable to lock up a submission, Belingon turned to his wushu to make the difference in the stand-up as he connected with a string of spectacular techniques to help sway the judges in his favor. It was tight, but he earned the split-decision win after the best all-around martial arts display of his 25-bout career.”‹