BIBIANO “The Flash” Fernandes, one of the greatest fighters to ever compete in MMA, is set to join the stacked ONE 172: Takeru vs. Rodtang card on March 23 inside the 37,000-seat Saitama Super Arena in Japan.
But he won’t be coming in as a fighter.
Fernandes will be there to receive the biggest honor a fighter who’s ever competed in ONE Championship could get – an induction into the promotion’s Hall of Fame.
He will be immortalized during an event bannered by the kickboxing super-fight between Takeru Segawa and Rodtang Jitmuangnon, who will compete alongside five World Title bouts involving MMA, kickboxing, and Muay Thai.
For Fernandes’ biggest rival in Kevin Belingon, getting inducted a month after calling it a career is fitting.
“I’m so happy for Bibiano Fernandes. He truly earned it. He’s one of the pioneers of this organization, he was one of the faces of the early years of ONE Championship, and he truly dominated the division for the longest time,” he said.
“There’s no question about it. He should be there in the ONE Championship Hall of Fame.”
Fernandes has been with ONE since its fifth event, Pride of a Nation, held in the Philippines in 2012. It was the start of one of the greatest runs that fans of MMA have ever seen.
Back then, Fernandes quickly entered the ONE World Title picture, with his next 13 fights being high-profile championship bouts. To add, he won 11 of those battles – a record that has remained unbroken in the promotion even to this day.
After unifying the ONE Bantamweight MMA World Title, Fernandes went on to defend his belt seven times. Belingon ended his streak in 2018. But Fernandes won the belt back months later to kick off his second run as a ONE World Champion.
With those accolades alone, Belingon believes it’s a no-brainer for Fernandes to be recognized for his achievements.
“Just looking at his resume and his performance, there’s no doubt,” Belingon said. “I think he’s the longest reigning champion in the promotion. It’s only right for him to be in there.”