KEVIN “The Silencer” Belingon admitted that fighting Bibiano “The Flash” Fernandes again was the last thing on his mind as he wrapped up 2024.
But as fate would have it, it seems like their stories are forever intertwined. They’re now set to fight for an unprecedented fifth time at ONE 171: Qatar on February 20, 2025, inside Lusail Sports Arena in Doha.
This fight is a fitting conclusion to their eight-year rivalry dating back to 2016, when Belingon showed up as the perfect challenger to then-dominant bantamweight king Fernandes.
“When the fight was offered, of course I was surprised. I never expected to fight him again,” Belingon said.
“But then I thought, I’ll get the chance to settle the score, so I’m truly excited. I feel blessed to still compete.”
That excitement, though, could be his foil. Fernandes remains one of the craftiest fighters in the weight class, someone who could turn one of his opponent’s mistakes into a winning opportunity.
Belingon knows all about that, and he’s making sure to keep his head in the game when they meet.
“I have to stick with my game plan. I don’t want to rush, I don’t want to be careless,” he said.
“We’ll be working on a really solid game plan for this fight, and it’s all about sticking with the game plan.”
He’ll be well equipped to go toe-to-toe with Fernandes now, especially since he used his time away from the ring to focus on his grappling. And he believes his new-found confidence on the ground will show in this fight.
“I know it’s been nearly two years since I last competed, but I’m alright. I’ve been really active in training, all of my teammates have been competing, and I’ve always made myself available as their sparring partner. So there’s no worries on my end,” he said.
“I got to focus on my grappling as well with Professor Gibran [Langbayan]. I’ve been working hard on my jiu-jitsu. I’ve joined and won tournaments in my time away from MMA.”
