Bibiano Fernandes believes the moment has arrived to settle his rivalry with Kevin Belingon once and for all.
Fernandes (23-4) will face Belingon (20-6) for a fourth time on Saturday at ONE: Century Part II in Tokyo, Japan, with the Brazilian aiming to retain his bantamweight championship in the process.
Having secured his opening two victories over Belingon via submission and through a disqualification caused by Belingon's illegal strikes to the back of the head, Fernandes has stated his preference for a decisive knockout victory.
"I want to box on that stage and finish this with a TKO or knockout," Fernandes told reporters. "That's the approach I'm bringing."
"I'll need to exercise patience to read his openings, but landing a knockout would be ideal."
Fernandes captured the ONE Championship bantamweight title in 2014, went on to defend it six consecutive times, then lost it to Belingon in November 2018 before reclaiming the belt last March.
Across his career, he has accumulated 13 title victories and defenses, though he doesn't view the championships themselves as his primary motivation.
"The titles are merely a bonus to me," Fernandes explained. "They're not what I focus on."
"What matters most is how I prepare for every fight—the mental and physical work I put in."
A Familiar Rivalry, Still Demanding
This marks the fourth encounter between the two fighters, making their shared history undeniable.
Yet familiarity hasn't made preparation any simpler, according to Fernandes.
"I wouldn't call it easier, and I wouldn't call it harder either—it's about adjustments," he said.
"You have to adapt. I can't repeat what worked last time. I need to keep improving and evolving."
His sole defeat to Belingon came by split decision, a result that generated significant debate after the fight.
The outcome still stings for Fernandes, and he's eager to erase that memory permanently on Saturday.
"The manner in which he won, the way he fought, the result—I genuinely don't believe he earned that last victory," Fernandes said.
As the ONE bantamweight division continues to fill with elite competitors, the pool of credible challengers keeps expanding.
Despite having already defeated Belingon twice, Fernandes insists there's only one justification for a fourth matchup.
"People constantly ask why I want to fight Kevin again, and my answer is simple: I do it for the fans. Everything I do is for them."
