ONE Championship, Asia’s premier martial arts organisation, is set to return to the Philippines with ONE: Heroes of Honor, taking place at the Mall of Asia Arena in Manila on April 20.
In the main event, home favourite Kevin "The Silencer" Belingon (17-5), who is currently riding a four-bout winning streak, will take on former bantamweight world title challenger Andrew Leone (8-3) in a contest with huge title implications.
Both are seeking a rematch against reigning ONE Bantamweight World Champion Bibiano "The Flash" Fernandes, and will have to go through each other to secure it.
"I know Andrew Leone is a tough opponent, and I need to be at my best to win," said Belingon during a press conference on Tuesday.
"It’s going to be one of my biggest matches to date and I am very thankful to ONE Championship for allowing me to be a part of this historic event.
"I can’t leave anything to chance. I have to give another great performance."
Leone also knows what’s at stake in this matchup, hence he isn’t taking his Filipino counterpart lightly.
"This is a tremendous opportunity for me and I can’t wait to go up there and show what I can do, to perform to the best of my ability," said Leone.
"Kevin Belingon is a tough guy. He’s a hard puncher and he has power. But I’m not worried about his striking. I’ve faced tough guys before. All I can say is that I’ll be ready."
ONE: Heroes of Honor will also mark the world premiere of the striking-only ONE Super Series, in which the world's best martial artists can showcase the beauty of Asia's striking arts such as Muay Thai, kickboxing, karate, taekwondo, Kung Fu, wushu, silat, and more.
"Aside from the many great bouts this Friday night, what I’m most excited about is the launch of ONE Super Series," said Chatri Sityodtong, Chairman and CEO of ONE Championship.
"We have the best in all styles going up against each other. so that’s definitely something to look forward to.
"Fans will witness the absolute elite in striking martial arts, as they go head-to-head on the biggest and most prestigious global stage of competition."
Global kickboxing superstar Giorgio "The Doctor" Petrosyan and "Smokin" Jo Nattawut of Thailand will battle it out in the main ONE Super Series event.
Watch ONE: Heroes of Honor on Astro Arena and Astro GO on April 20
Seng Foo Lee
Wed Apr 18 2018
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