Another Filipino mixed martial artist will get his chance to prove himself and work towards getting a ONE FC title shot. After Honorio Banario and Eric Kelly showed their wares for ONE FC 7: Return of Warriors, Kevin Belingon will now step up to the plate in the continuation of the ONE FC Bantamweight Grand Prix.
ONE FC 8: Kings and Champions will take place at the Singapore Indoor Stadium on April 5. The Grand Prix will be on its semifinal stage with Belingon facing Vietnamese-Australian Thanh Vu. On the other side of the bracket, former lightweight world champion Jens Pulver will take on Japan’s Masakatsu Ueda.
"I'm going to move one step closer to becoming bantamweight champion by defeating Thanh Vu. I will win the Grand Prix, get my title shot, and bring the title back with me to the Philippines,” said Belingon.
“I am determined to win the ONE FC title. Thanh Vu is standing in my way and I would go through him to the Grand Prix title and the ONE FC title. Nobody can stop the spirit of a Filipino warrior."
Belingon’s first two trips to the ONE FC cage have been unsuccessful. He lost via submission to Masakazu Imanari in ONE FC 3: Rise of the Lions and via decision to Soo Chul Kim in ONE FC 5: Pride of a Nation. However, he bounced back in a big way with a technical knockout win over Yusup Saadulaev in ONE FC 6: Rise of Kings.
The Team Lakay representative knows that winning the Grand Prix will be a feather in his cap. "The ONE FC Bantamweight Grand Prix semifinals feature three of the best bantamweights in Asia and a former world champion,” Belingon said. “The winner of the Grand Prix would have proven that they deserve a title shot and an opportunity to become recognized as the best lightweight in Asia.”
Belingon has a record of 10 wins against only two defeats. Of his 10 wins, four came via decision, three via submission, and three via knockout.
“This is more than just about me,” Belingon added. “The pride of our nation is on the line. A victory here would validate what we are doing in Team Lakay and establish our standing in Asian MMA. I look forward to getting into the ONE FC cage and emerging victorious."
The main event of ONE FC 8: Kings and Champions will be a battle for the ONE FC Lightweight World Championship between reigning champion Kotetsu “No Face” Boku and the popular number one contender Shinya “Tobikan Judan” Aoki. - AMD, GMA News
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