ONE Championship champ Bibiano Fernandes, 37, unfazed by younger competition: 'A lot left in the tank'

Throughout his almost 13-year MMA career, Bibiano Fernandes has met a plethora of opponents with different styles, backgrounds and weapons. All of them thought they could win. Five of them were eyeing his One Championship crown.

Still, only three were able to beat him. And it’s been six and a half years since that last happened.

With that in mind, one can kind of see why, at 37, bantamweight champ Fernandes (20-3) says he’s not too bothered by the idea of facing a fighter 10 years his junior in challenger Andrew Leone (8-2).

“Experience counts for more,” Fernandes told MMAjunkie. “I train to win. I don’t care if my opponent is young or old, or if he has good or bad stamina. I’m very dedicated. You can put anyone in front of me. Most of my training partners are younger. I’ve never complained.

“Of course, everyone wants to be champion. But I have a lot left in the tank, still.”

Fernandes and Leone headline this Saturday’s “ONE Championship 58: Kings & Conquerors,” at Cotai Arena in Macau, China. The card will stream via online pay-per-view in North America.

Fernandes’ confidence is backed up by numbers. Ranked No. 6 in the USA TODAY Sports/MMAjunkie MMA bantamweight rankings, Fernandes stands at a whopping 19-1 in his past 20 bouts.

The Brazilian champ has defended One Championship’s undisputed belt five times, after taking the interim title and unifying it. And he remains one of the biggest 135-pound names in the world, despite the fact he’s never fought for a major U.S. based promotion.

There’s no denying he’s a force. But, after years of finishes and unanimous calls, Fernandes recently saw himself winning in not-so-dominant-fashion. After five rounds against Reece McLaren in December, Fernandes took a split call for the first time since 2010.

Did Fernandes feel close to losing his majesty, though? Well, even if he did, it doesn’t seem like he dwells on it too much.

“We train hard to get ready, but we never know what will happen in the actual fight,” Fernandes said. “If you watch our fight, I was dominating, but he connected with a cross to my nose on the third round. I took me out of my game for a moment until I could adjust again, and keep on fighting.

“He rocked me a little, that one time, but that was the only thing he did well in the entire fight. I believe he ran a lot and whenever he’d attack, I’d hit him with a counter. He may have broken my nose on the third, but I knocked him down on the fourth. Thankfully I was victorious, and now I’m looking at my next opponent.”

After a brief free agency period, Fernandes has recently chosen to re-sign with his longtime home at One Championship for another three years. And, as he’d spoken to MMAjunkie about before, he’s absolutely at peace with the idea of being the one who got away for a number of major events.

“I’ll end my career in Asia,” Fernandes said. “It’s my job. It’s what I enjoy. Thankfully, this allows to take care of my family. ONE has grown a lot in Asia, and around the world.

“I did have offers from other promotions, but I’m focused on my family and my future. And ONE’s offer was much more generous.”

For more on ONE Championship 58, check out the MMA Rumorssection of the site.