Kwon Won Il Shuts Down Belingon With Second-Round Body Shot

“Pretty Boy” Kwon Won Il further shook up the bantamweight division by finishing #2-ranked contender Kevin “The Silencer” Belingon with a devastating shovel hook on Friday, 17 December.

After Stephen “The Sniper” Loman beat #3-ranked Yusup “Maestro” Saadulaev earlier in the night, Kwon knocked out the former ONE Bantamweight World Champion in the co-main event of ONE: WINTER WARRIORS II at the Singapore Indoor Stadium.

In the opening round, the South Korean pressured Belingon early, backing him into the Circle Wall while throwing punches and kicks. From the back foot, “The Silencer” teased his taller opponent with spinning wushu kicks.

Belingon used his footwork to get off the fence, but Kwon followed him like a morning shadow. Flustered, the Filipino shot in and wrapped his foe up, but “Pretty Boy” showed improved takedown defense to stay on his feet.

Kwon’s confidence grew after defending Belingon’s takedown, and he walked his opponent down once more. But this time, when he kicked, “The Silencer” grabbed his leg and dragged him to the canvas.

Belingon couldn’t keep Kwon down, however. The South Korean stood up, circled away, and began tagging the veteran with punches that came at the ends of his wiry arms as if he were a modern-day Tommy Hearns.

To counter, Belingon shot, but Kwon sprawled. The Filipino swung, but “Pretty Boy” defended. And finally, “The Silencer” began finding his mark.

For the final minute of the round, he traded punches with the 26-year-old in an exchange that had both fighters shaking out their mouthpieces.

The two bantamweights continued to press the action at the start of the second frame. Belingon fired off right hands at Kwon’s head and body, but the South Korean mixed up his attacks, which included low and high kicks, straight punches and uppercuts, and then the finishing blow.

Just as “The Silencer” lunged into a wild overhand right, Kwon dipped to his left side and wound up a shovel hook that hit and bounced off the former World Champion’s rib cage.

Instantly, Belingon winced and went down as referee Justin Brown stopped the bout after 52 seconds of the second round.

The victory nudged Kwon’s record to 11-3 and may have earned the rising star a spot in the top-five bantamweight rankings.

Or better yet, he might just get a shot at the winner of the clash between ONE Bantamweight World Champion Bibiano “The Flash” Fernandes and #1-ranked contender John “Hands of Stone” Lineker in 2022.

Read more: ONE: WINTER WARRIORS II – Full Results For Every Fight