Former ONE bantamweight world champion will be back inside the circle, this time against a former title contender in the featherweight division before he opted to fight in a heavier division.
Belingon, who turned 35 years old recently, will welcome Jae Woong Kim of South Korea in the bantamweight class when the two collide at the Singapore Indoor Stadium on Nov. 19.
The fighting pride of Ifugao is determined to bounce back from four straight losses, of which, two were in the hands of former long-time bantamweight king Bibiano Fernandes, who outclassed him in their last outing via rear-naked choke in 2019.
Belingon was also stopped by John Lineker, who is now the reigning bantamweight king, in October 2020.
The last time Belingon saw action inside the circle was in December 2021 when he was stopped by Kown Won II via a solid punch to the body.
But despite his current form, Belingon is still one of the most feared finishers in the promotion, as 10 of his 20 career wins came by way of spectacular knockouts.
However, ending his drought will be easier said than done since he will share the circle with the hard-hitting South Korean.
The 29-year-old Korean fighter earned the respect of the mixed martial arts community when he stopped former two division champion Martin Nguyen via knockout in their featherweight bout in September 2021.
Kim, however, suffered back-to-back losses in his next fights, losing to Tang Kai via KO in March this year then he was submitted via rear-naked choke by Shamil Gasanov last month.
After much contemplation, Kim opted to fight bigger and heavier fighters with Belingon welcoming him to the bantamweight class. – Harley F. Palangchao
