Three fighters from the famed Team Lakay are set to banner the Philippines anew in ONE: Inside the Matrix III at the Singapore Indoor Stadium Friday next week.
Kevin Belingon (No. 1) will be locking horns with Brazilian John Lineker (No.5) in their bantamweight bout for the main event while teammate Geje Eustaquio faces Korean Song Min Jong in the catchweight division for the co-main event.
The 33-year-old Belingon hopes for a fresh start in his MMA career after two straight defeats last year due to disqualification and submission both in the second round against the same opponent in Bibiano Fernandes of Brazil.
Those defeats were the first in a while for Belingon, the man known as "The Silencer," after boasting a seven-match win streak since October 2016.
Belingon, who has a 20-7 mixed martial arts record, captured the interim bantamweight belt after a unanimous decision victory over Martin Nguyen in July 2018 and eventually won the official title four months later by beating Fernandes via split decision.
Lakay stablemate Eustaquio, owning a 13-8 slate, had back-and-forth wins and losses last year.
After missing a year of Circle action, the "Gravity" accepted the heavy challenge of facing Min Jong, who mounts on a four-win streak -- two coming from ONE Championship.
Rising star Lito Adiwang (No. 5), meanwhile, will be opening the fight night against Japanese fighter Hiroba Minowa in the strawweight bout.
Of the three Lakay stalwarts, the "Thunder Kid" is carrying the much-needed momentum for the country, taking pride in seven consecutive wins in the pro ranks since 2016.
The 27-year-old Adiwang, holding an 11-2 record, rose to fame after dominant victories in different installments of the ONE Warrior Series with his deadly striking.
The strawweight contender of Team Lakay marked a successful 2019 debut after stunning Senzo Ikeda via technical knockout (arm injury) and secured another win the following year against Pongsiri Mitsatit with a lethal Kimura lock -- all from first-round finishes.
With luck not on the side of the Filipinos after the defeat of Eduard Folayang and Ramon Gonzales in ONE Championship, Belingon, Eustaquio and Adiwang are stepping into the Circle in the hopes of chalking up victories for the country.