Doha, Qatar: Bibiano Fernandes is a legend, and at ONE 171: Qatar, he has one final opportunity to cement his legacy even further.
The former reigning ONE Bantamweight MMA World Champion dominated the division for nearly a decade, defending his throne against some of the toughest challengers in the sport. But no one pushed him quite like Kevin Belingon.
On Thursday, February 20, they will square off for the fifth and final time inside Lusail Sports Arena in Doha, and Fernandes knows how many eyeballs will be on their final bout.
"Let me put it this way. The other day, I was watching a fight between me and Kevin. I was watching that on Facebook, it just showed up and said it had 29 million views. That fight was watched 29 million times," Fernandes said.
"Kevin is a tough dude. He’s explosive, and very dangerous. He has good power. He’s been in ONE Championship for a long time as well. We’ve both been there for a long time."
They have already faced off four times, with Fernandes holding a 3-1 lead. Their rivalry has been one of the most intense in ONE Championship history, featuring World Title fights, controversial finishes, and unforgettable moments that shaped the bantamweight division.
Fernandes and Belingon’s story began in 2016, when the Brazilian submitted the Filipino in the first round to defend his ONE Bantamweight MMA World Title.
But two years later, Belingon got his revenge. After claiming the ONE Interim Bantamweight MMA World Title by defeating Martin Nguyen, he went on to beat Fernandes via split decision in their 2018 unification bout.
However, the rivalry was far from over. Their trilogy took place at ONE: NEW ERA in Japan the following year. There, Fernandes reclaimed his belt, but not without controversy as Belingon was disqualified due to illegal elbows to the back of the head.
The two warriors met again later that year in Tokyo, and this time Fernandes submitted Belingon in the second round.
Now, years after their last encounter, the fifth and final chapter of this rivalry is set to unfold.
For Fernandes, it’s about ending his career on his own terms. The 44-year-old veteran has captured 11 ONE Bantamweight MMA World Titles and has made 15 appearances inside the Circle. His elite ground game has made him one of the most respected and accomplished MMA fighters of his era.
"I built that division. I ruled that division for a long time. I built that division for the next great champions to come. Now, they’re taken care of. I was at the top for many years," Fernandes said.
"I will never forget my first time in Manila. It was my first time fighting in the bantamweight division of ONE. And after so many years, I kept going and going, pushing and pushing, because I really believed that ONE Championship could be the greatest organization on the planet.
"I believed that I could be the greatest champion on the planet as well. Because of that, I kept pushing myself, I challenged myself. Even with a broken hand, I would still fight. Whether or not I felt good, I would still fight. I just had to do it. I had to keep pushing."
Now Fernandes wants to leave the sport with his legacy intact. In fact, he hopes to be remembered as a pillar of the division that future contenders look up to as they chase their own greatness.
He also knows firsthand how hard it is to stay at the top. Earning a World Title is one thing, but holding onto it for years is what separates the best from the rest.
"Winning the belt is easy,” he said, adding, “Anybody can do it. But keeping the belt is a difficult thing. If you can keep t
