Underdog Kevin Belingon determined to win ONE FC title, says Team Lakay coach

Nissi Icasiano

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Underdog Kevin Belingon determined to win ONE FC title, says Team Lakay coach
Mark Sangiao remains optimistic that Kevin Belingon can pull off an improbable upset against ONE Championship bantamweight titleholder Bibiano Fernandes

MANILA, Philippines – Team Lakay head coach Mark Sangiao remains optimistic that Kevin Belingon can pull off an improbable upset against ONE Championship bantamweight titleholder Bibiano Fernandes.

Belingon is slated to challenge the 35-year-old Brazilian bantamweight kingpin in the main event of ONE: Dynasty of Champions, which takes place at He Long Stadium in Changsha, China on Saturday, January 23.

However, Belingon is coming into the scheduled 5-round title tilt as the heavy underdog due to his opponent’s impressive résumé.

Fernandes (18-3) has successfully defended the gold-plated strap thrice since becoming the promotion’s official 135-pound kingpin in October 2013 when he outpointed then-champion Soo Chul Kim in a title unification bout.

Aside from his two-year reign as the ONE bantamweight titleholder, Fernandes is also riding high on a 10-fight winning streak that included notable victories over Antonio Banuelos, Okazaki, Masakatsu Ueda and Kim.

Fernandes, who turned down a lucrative offer from the Ultimate Fighting Championship in 2012 to sign with ONE, was last seen in action when he knocked out Finland’s Toni Tauru with one punch this past July.

In addition, Fernandes holds a black belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and has an outstanding boxing background.

“Bibiano is a world-class athlete. We all know that. He’s a champion for a reason,” Sangiao said of Fernandes.

Sangiao is confident that Belingon will prevail versus Fernandes because his pupil has had solid preparation and continues to give signs of progress with one week away from the championship clash.

“We spent a lot of time in training camp. He is always prepared in all of his fights, but in this title fight, we have to exert more work and effort,” he said.

As their own blueprint to topple a versatile foe like Fernandes remains a top secret, the only information that Sangiao gave is that Belingon’s mindset is extremely determined to walk out of the cage with the ONE bantamweight belt around his waist.

“He’s very motivated. He wants to get the belt. He will do everything just to win,” he shared.

Belingon (13-4) was one step away from securing a date with Fernandes in 2014, but South Korea’s Dae Hwan Kim spoiled the Pinoy’s championship aspirations by submitting the highly-touted Team Lakay representative with a first-round rear-naked choke in March of that year.

The 28-year-old Baguio City native bounced back by scoring a lopsided decision triumph over Koetsu Okazaki in December 2014.

“I think and hope that Kevin will walk out victorious. I believe it’s his time to become champion,” Sangiao says of Belingon’s chances with Fernandes. – Rappler.com

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