THREE Team Lakay stars will be buoyed by one thing or another when the previously recorded ONE: INSIDE THE MATRIX III airs this Friday, 13 November.
Former World Champions Kevin “The Silencer” Belingon and Geje “Gravity” Eustaquio, and fifth-ranked strawweight Lito “Thunder Kid” Adiwang will return to action at the Singapore Indoor Stadium and they’ll be pushed by different motivations.
Belingon, who takes on fifth-ranked bantamweight John “Hands Of Stone” Lineker, will look to chase the ghost of an old rival and reclaim his spot at the top.
Though Belingon has lost three times to reigning ONE Bantamweight World Champion Bibiano “The Flash” Fernandes, the #1-ranked contender still has Fernandes on his mind – and he knows that a thrilling performance against Lineker may further his case for one day competing for the belt again.
“[I want] another shot at the bantamweight belt,” Belingon said, who along with Fernandes has ruled over the division for nearly a decade now.
“I feel like I still have unfinished business here. I want to face Bibiano again, and I am willing to go through anyone to get there.”

While Eustaquio also wants to reclaim his strap, he’s more concerned about first gaining back the respect he once commanded.
“Gravity” was left out of the initial ONE Athlete Rankings in the loaded flyweight division, and while he insists that he has no problem with the decision, he admits that not seeing his name in the top-five does motivate him.
Now Eustaquio, who battles “The Running Man” Song Min Jong in the co-main event, plans to show that he still belongs in the division’s top tier.
“Of all the athletes in the division, there are only three who have held that belt – and I’m one of them,” Eustaquio said.
“I really don’t mind being excluded, but of course I want to use this as a motivation to come back stronger.”
Of the three Team Lakay stars, Adiwang’s probably the most emotional.
“Thunder Kid” will enter his match with a heavy heart as he has to compete against Hiroba Minowa with his ailing mother, Leticia, on the back of his mind.
“She’s now bedridden as her condition continues to get worse. The doctors told us to be prepared, explained her condition, and basically said that it is only a matter of time,” Adiwang said.
“As a son, it’s so painful. Now that she’s still here, I want to show her the things that I can still do.
“One day, when she is looking down on us, I want her to be proud. I want her to say, ‘That’s my son.’ I need to win this for her.”
Catch the previously recorded ONE: INSIDE THE MATRIX III this Friday, 13 November, on One Sports and One Sports+ or stream it for free by downloading the ONE Super App.
Also, TV5 will air the event on a next-day delay at 11 p.m. PHT on Saturday, 14 November.
___
Spin fans unite at the Spin Viber Community! Join the growing community now and complete the experience by subscribing to the Spin Chatbot.
Get more of the latest sports news & updates on SPIN.ph