Belingon fights undefeated Santacana at One FC

Carlos Cinco

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Filipino fighter Kevin Belingon looks to bounce back from a loss against the undefeated David Aranda Santacana at ONE FC

THE SILENCER. Kevin Belingon is looking to hand David Aranda Santacana his first defeat. Photo by ONE FCSINGAPORE – Kevin “The Silencer” Belingon is one of the more promising Mixed Martial Artists to come out of the Philippines thanks to his ability to strike his opponent with unparalleled speed and power.

The Wushu specialist from the famed Team Lakay has 11 wins under his belt, with only 3 defeats, one against former Bantamweight champion Soo Chul Kim of Korea.

At One FC 9: Rise to Power earlier this year, Belingon fought in the Bantamweight Grand Prix final against Masakatsu Ueda, but was unfortunately on the wrong end of a Unanimous Decision.

In front of a wily crowd of more than 20,000 fight hungry fans in Manila earlier this year, Belingon and Ueda went at each other for 3 gruelling rounds of back and forth action. Ueda’s wrestling proved to be his best asset in this fight but Belingon more than held his own in the stand up.

Even as Ueda was close to finishing Belingon with a keylock, Belingon battled back to the final bell, using his superior striking to keep Ueda honest. But in the end, Masakatsu Ueda did just enough to outpoint the fiery Filipino warrior.

This Friday, December 6, at the Mall of Asia Arena in Pasay City, at One FC: Moment of Truth, Belingon looks to get back in the win column against an undefeated fighter in David Aranda Santacana of Spain.

Belingon will have his work cut out for him again, but remains steadfast and confident in his abilities.

“I came so close to getting a shot at the title. I think the fight against Ueda proved that I am one of the best Bantamweights in Asia,” said Belingon, ready to put on a show.

The loss to Ueda could have only strengthened Belingon with valuable experience. Nicknamed “The Silencer”, Belingon is a man of few words who prefers to let his viciousness in the cage do the talking. With his adept striking skills, he’s able to ‘silence’ both his opponent and his critics with every blow.

Belingon is certainly capable of such destruction, and is comparable to stablemate Honorio “The Rock” Banario with his ability to dominate an opponent by outworking him.

Against the Spaniard Santacana, who makes his One FC debut, Belingon faces a lossless warrior who has not yet tasted the bitterness of defeat.

With Manny Pacquiao and Nonito Donaire breaking the jinx of losses in Filipino Boxing, and compatriot Eric “The Natural” Kelly recently winning his fight at URCC 24, it’s up to Belingon to set the stage with a victory in the One FC cage. (READ: Black Friday: Pinoys get swept in ONE FC)

“I want to defeat everybody they put in front of me and work my way back to title contention with the support of the Filipino fans!” said Belingon.

It certainly will not be easy against an opponent such as Santacana though, who’s exceptionally spectacular on the ground – an area where Filipino fighters seem to have the most difficulty.

Santacana hasn’t lost an MMA match, winning all 9 of his fights so far –  eight of them coming by way of submission.

The challenge for Belingon will definitely be to keep the fight standing, as he poses more of a threat on his feet than he does on the ground.

Team Lakay has vowed improved ground games for their stable of Pinoy warriors, so it will be interesting to see how much better Belingon is once he has his back on the canvas.

If Belingon can stay on his feet and dominate Santacana as he is certainly capable of doing, it should be a showcase for him as not too many opponents can stand tall against Belingon’s superior striking.

As Mixed Martial Arts continues to grow in popularity in the country, you can bet Kevin Belingon is one of those warriors who wish to keep the fire burning.

One FC: Moment of Truth features the highly anticipated rematch between Honorio Banario and Koji Oishi, who will once again compete against each other in another instant classic for the Featherweight world championship. The event will be held at the Mall of Asia Arena in Pasay City. – Rappler.com

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