Bibiano Fernandes to Defend Bantamweight Belt at ONE: Dynasty of Champions
Bibiano Fernandes will be looking for a tenth straight win when he defends his ONE bantamweight title on Jan. 23. The Brazilian will be going up against Kevin Belingon in the main event of the organization’s first card of the year.
ONE: Dynasty of Champions is set for Changsha Stadium and sees Fernandes (18-3-0) make a fourth defense of the title he won back in 2013. He is coming off back-to-back stoppage wins against Dae Hwan Kim and Toni Tauru, and has not lost a fight in over five years.
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Belingon (13-4) is coming off a decision win over Koetsu Okazaki and becomes the third Team Lakay fighter to be handed a ONE Championship title shot. His teammate, Honorio Banario, won the inaugural featherweight belt, while Geje Eustaquio came up short in a challenge for the 125-pound strap.
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The card features another bantamweight fight, which will have serious implications for the title picture, when Tauru (10-2-1) returns to the cage to take on Muin Gafurov (9-0). The Finnish fighter was knocked out by Fernandes in his promotional debut last year, while the undefeated Tajik is seen as a future title challenger.
There will also be a clash between former title challengers when Asuka Mikami (12-3-2) takes on Roy Doliguez (6-2). The Filipino will be moving up a division for this fight, while the Japanese fighter is looking for a second straight win after outpointing Eugene Toquero last year.
The card features an all-Chinese bantamweight tournament and there will also be a featherweight fight between two former ONE Championship tournament winners. Li Kai Wen (4-2) is coming off an impressive first-round knockout of Nathan Ng and will be looking for a third straight win against Yang Sen (2-0).
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