KEVIN Belingon masterfully displayed another striking clinic as he stopped two-division champion Martin Nguyen to win the ONE Championship interim bantamweight world title Friday evening at the Mall of Asia Arena.
Belingon exorcised the ghost of 2017 when Nguyen bagged his second title in another weight class after scoring a knock out against fellow Team Lakay and former lightweight world champion Eduard Folayang.
With the home crowd cheering behind him, Belingon effortlessly picked Nguyen apart in the stand-up, jolting the two-division titleholder with stunning left hooks and perfectly-executed spinning back kicks getting all three judges nod for a unanimous decision win after an intense five-round affair.
"I can't explain this feeling, I'm the happiest athlete tonight. Thank you to all the people who came out to support me, and of course to ONE Championship, my team, my coaches and trainers, and my teammates," Belingon said.
In winning the interim title, Belingon captured Team Lakay's fourth championship in the promotion and also giving the country its fifth belt under the One Championship banner.
"To Martin, it was an honor fighting you. You're such a great athlete and champion. I trained very hard for this fight, just to get this belt. I'm proud to be a champion representing the Philippines," he added.
Folayang has taken the necessary second step to reclaim the gold.
After toppling the unbeaten Russian juggernaut Kharun "Predator" Atlangeriev in May, the Filipino hero welcomed yet another undefeated Russian on Friday, July 27.
Just like in his last bout, the Team Lakay veteran ruined his adversary's perfect record.
Folayang took apart Sambo World Champion Aziz Pahrudinov with laser-like precision to earn a unanimous decision victory at ONE: Reign of Kings
Opening up the first stanza, Folayang made his game plan known by throwing a plethora of outside leg kicks to Pahrudinov's lead leg. As a result of the Filipino's relentless leg kicks, his rival appeared hesitant to engage.
Looking to take matters to the ground, the Russian then circled "Landslide" until he found an opening to shoot for the single-leg takedown.
With Folayang's back against the cage, Pahrudinov lifted the former lightweight titleholder over his head and put him on the canvas.
With the victory, the local hero takes another step closer to the lightweight throne. He earned his 20th professional victory, which put him on a two-bout win streak, and handed Pahrudinov the first loss of his career.
Earlier, local favorite Joshua Pacio created an unforgettable moment in Manila that will live on his highlight-reel for years to come.
the Filipino warrior gave Thai hero Pongsiri "The Smiling Assassin" Mitsatit the first professional loss of his mixed martial arts career.
In the opening round of their strawweight affair, he submitted the Thai striker with an innovative arm lock, which had never been seen inside the ONE cage.
The bout was expected to be a stand-up battle between Pacio's wushu prowess and Mitsatit's renowned Muay Thai styling.
However, the contest did not stay on the feet for very long.
A minute into the first round, the Team Lakay standout caught Mitsatit's leg kick, took him down, and landed in side control.
From there, Pacio quickly transitioned to full mount before raining down a devastating series of punches and elbows that had the 22-year-old Thai searching for a way out.
With time running out in the first round, Pacio changed his strategy. Instead of looking for the rear-naked choke, he grabbed one of Mitsatit's arms and twisted it around his back.
The torque was so great, the Thai had no choice but to submit. He tapped at 3:37 of round one.
In victory, Pacio finds himself on a three-bout win streak. He moves his overall record to 12-2, and becomes the first man to defeat Mitsatit.
Filipino Muay Thai specialist Rene Catalan made it 4-0 for the Philippines by exhibited dynamic striking, feints, sweeping low leg kicks, and a powerful left hook that had highly-regarded opponent Stefer Rahardian of Indonesia in trouble on multiple occasions. In the end, all three judges scored the bout in favor of Catalan to win by unanimous decision.
