Belingon creams Leone to highlight ONE: Heroes of Honor

Filipino fighter Kevin Belingon (L) unloads a strike on American Andrew Leone in this piece of action in ONE: Heroes of Honor. Belingon won via 2nd round TKO. (ONE Championship Photo)

By Ricky Manliguis

PASAY CITY—Kevin Belingon continued his devastating ways as he obliterated American Andrew Leone en route to a second-round TKO win in the main event of ONE: Heroes of Honor at the Mall Of Asia Arena here Friday night.

The 30-year old Team Lakay standout went out smoking right from the opening round, pouncing on Leone with a series of ground attacks, which sent the Bali MMA stalwart into a bloody mess with a cut in his left eye.

In the second, Belingon continued to put pressure on Leone before unleashing a spinning side kick that floored his opponent to the canvas, followed by a series of strikes on the ground. This prompted referee Olivier Coste to put a halt in the ordeal with 3:33 left in the round.

“I was just waiting for that opportunity. He's always been giving me that cause he steps back, but when I got that I just took it," said Beligon.

The win, Belingon’s fifth straight, improved his record to an 18-5 win-loss card, at the same time getting another crack to a possible rematch with ONE bantamweight champion Bibiano Fernandes of Brazil.

With the setback, Leone fell to 8-4.

Petrosyan beats Nattawut in Super Series Kick boxing

In the co-main event, Italian Giorgio “The Doctor” Petrosyan toyed on Thai kickboxing champ “Smokin’” Joe Nattawut via unanimous decision in a ONE Super Series kickboxing affair.

The former K-1 World Max Lightweight Champion outplayed Nattawut with precise hits and crisp kicks for the victory, his first in ONE Championship. The former Lion Fight World Champion Nattawut kept on retaliating, but it wasn't enough against a more accurate and technical Petrosyan.

“I have big respect to my opponent, but in the end, there’s only one winner,” said the 32-year old Italian-Armenian fighter.  

Banario, Iniong win; Nong-O, Gafurov prevail

Belingon’s Team Lakay teammates Honorio Banario and Gina Iniong also went out with a win in their respective preliminary bouts.

Banario found Australian Adrian Pang a tough nut to crack to carve off a split decision win in the lightweigh division. Despite a brilliant first two rounds, “The Rock” found himself in a tight hole against the 40-year old Pang in the final round, but was able to survive for the win, his 13^th in 19 bouts.

Iniong, on the other hand, fended the challenge of Chinese Tapei’s Jenny Huang for three rounds before fashioning out a UD victory in an atomweight preliminary bout. 

Muay Thai legend Nong-O Gaiyanghadao scored a UD success opposite former WBC champion Fabio Pinca of France in a ONE Super Series encounter. Engaging the Frenchman to a slugfest, Gaiyanghadao’s superior technique and experience proved too much for Pinca to handle.  

Former ONE Featherweight king Marat Gafurov made short work of American Emilio Urrutia with a tringle choke for a first-round submission win to get back in his winning ways.

Other Results:

Bantamweight bout: Dae Hwan Kim defeats Masakazu Imanari by Unanimous Decision (UD) after 3 rounds

ONE Super Series Muay Thai lightweight bout: Cosmo Alexandre def. Elliot Compton by Knockout (KO) at 2:41 minutes of round 2

Catchweight bout (63.0kg): Akihiro Fujisawa def. Kaji Ebin by Submission (Verbal) at 1:48 minutes of round 1

ONE Super Series Kickboxing catchweight bout (78.0kg): Regian Eersel def. Brad Riddell by Unanimous Decision (UD) after 3 rounds

Strawweight bout: Adrian Mattheis def. Lan Ming Qiang by Unanimous Decision (UD) after 3 rounds.

Follow him on Twitter: @Teaching_Hero