Former ONE Bantamweight World Champion and #1-ranked contender Kevin “The Silencer” Belingon is ready to bring the house down in his highly anticipated return to the ONE Championship Circle.
The top-ranked bantamweight battles #5-ranked contender John “Hands Of Stone” Lineker in what is expected to be an action-packed main event at the previously recorded ONE: INSIDE THE MATRIX III, which airs this Friday, 13 November.
It’s been more than a year since Belingon competed in mixed martial arts, and it’s only fitting that he faces the Brazilian who many believe to be a mirror image of himself.
“Ever since John Lineker signed with ONE, all I’ve been hearing and reading from the fans is Belingon vs. Lineker,” Belingon said ahead of his match at the Singapore Indoor Stadium.
“Now it’s finally here, and I’m excited for it. Expect fireworks. Expect it to be a good one.”
While some athletes may tweak their strategy when facing someone with a similar style, Belingon have no plans of letting up. In fact, he promises to live up to his fans’ expectations.
“One look and it’s easy to see that we’re both hard hitters, and that’s the reason why this matchup is so exciting,” Belingon said.
“It will be very interesting given our styles, and I plan to keep it that way,” he added. “At the end of the day, I hope to get my hands raised.”
The good thing for him is that he has a dance partner who is willing to do the same.
Like Belingon, Lineker has no plans of playing it safe, and while he expects Belingon to lure him into some wild exchanges, “Hands Of Stone” is confident that in a clash of styles, his will come out on top.
“I studied a lot of his videos. He seems to be a very versatile opponent. He likes to keep punching, he moves very well, and I think he’s going to look for the exchanges,” Lineker said.
“This is his style, just like mine – I’m going to look for the knockout in this fight. I know I can get the best from these exchanges.”
He’s even looking to leave the Singapore Indoor Stadium with a few Filipino converts.
“After our fight, maybe I can get some fans from the Philippines because of my performance,” Lineker continued.
“I ask all of you to watch the fight. I hope everyone enjoys the match, and I hope you guys can follow me in my career in ONE Championship.”
Catch the previously recorded ONE: INSIDE THE MATRIX III this Friday, November 13, on One Sports and One Sports+ or stream it for free by downloading the ONE Super App.
Also, TV5 will air the event on a next-day delay at 11 p.m. PHT on Saturday, November 14.