Bibiano Fernandes will be retiring in February, but not before he faces Kevin Belingon one more time.
The fifth encounter between Fernandes and Belingon is set to take place at ONE 171: Qatar on Feb. 20. Also on the card, former KSW champion Roberto Soldic will battle Saygid Guseyn Arslanaliev at 185 pounds, while Shamil Gasanov will square off against former ONE two-division king Martin Nguyen at 155 pounds.
The 44-year-old Fernandes, a former bantamweight (145-pound) champion, holds a 3-1 record against Belingon, having most recently defeated him via second-round submission at ONE “Century Part 2” in October 2019. Despite being on a two-fight losing streak, the AMC Pankration-trained Brazilian hasn’t competed since November 2022.
Hailing from Manila, the 37-year-old Belingon has also been inactive since November 2022 and has suffered defeats in his last five professional fights, all within the ONE organization. Belingon’s only victory over Fernandes came in a title unification bout at ONE “Heart of the Lion” in November 2018.
ONE 171 will be held at Lusail Sports Arena in Lusail, Qatar, and will feature a 125-pound championship showdown between Joshua Pacio and Jarred Brooks.
