There was a time when Filipino mixed-martial artist Kevin Belingon seemed like he was destined to be a champion. But it turns out destiny had someone else in mind.On Jan. 23, 2016, Belingon submitted to Brazil’s Bibiano Fernandes in the first round of their fight at ONE: DYNASTY OF CHAMPIONS. It was a heartbreaking outcome for Belingon, who suddenly felt unsure whether he could hang with the division's best."When I first fought Bibiano, it was a realization for me,” Belingon told VICE. “I was confident that my striking would pose problems for him, but I was shocked that I wasn’t able to hit him with a clean punch."His grappling and defense were levels above what I expected, and as a result, I was beaten rather easily. It was at that moment that I realized just how big the gap was between us. I was standing across a Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt, but I didn’t understand what that meant. After the fight, I knew I had to work on my grappling if I wanted to challenge him again someday.”It took a hard defeat to force Belingon to figure out how to pick himself up off the mat again. Belingon and his coach Mark Sangiao worked on the striker's grappling and defensive skills with their eyes on a rematch. Now, they finally have their chance. Belingon and Fernandes will face-off once again this Friday, Nov. 9, at Singapores Indoor Stadium for a match called ONE: HEART OF THE LION.Belingon is fast becoming ONE FC's comeback kid with six straight wins, including a stunning takedown of Muin Gafurov, a first-round TKO against Toni “Dynamite” Tauru, and a lightening-fast victory against Reece “Lightning” McLaren in just 62 seconds.Now, he's ready for a second shot at greatness.“It has been a long wait for me,” Belingon said. “The rematch has been the only thing on my mind for the past two years. In many ways, Bibiano is still the dangerous black belt, and I have to be careful."But this time, if he wants to take me down, he’ll have to walk through fire to get close to me. I don’t plan on just standing there and letting him dictate the pace. I’ll fight with fury, and this time, I will connect.”Still, only time will tell if all Belingon's training is enough. Fernandes, a black belt in Brazilian jiu jitsu, is a powerful striker and a world-class grappler.“The rematch with Bibiano is finally happening, and I can show him just how much I have improved since our first meeting,” Belingon told VICE. “I can proudly say that the biggest difference has been my grappling. Because I upgraded this area of my game, I am more confident now in unleashing my strikes. Improving my grappling has made me a better striker."Friday night is either going to end with a new ONE Bantamweight World Champion or another failed shot at glory for one of Southeast Asia's rising MMA stars.
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