MMA Legends Bibiano Fernandes, Martin Nguyen Bid Farewell at ONE 171: Qatar

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ONE 171: Qatar proved to be the perfect battleground for world-class martial artists to deliver spectacular performances. In fact, on Thursday, 20 February, Lusail Sports Arena witnessed everything from epic finishes to nail-bitingly close contests.

The memorable event will be etched in fans' memories for a long time, and not just for adrenaline-filled fights. The event also saw the retirement of two MMA legends who graced the ONE Championship Circle for more than a decade.

First, former 11-time ONE Bantamweight MMA World Champion Bibiano Fernandes secured a hard-fought split-decision victory over his arch-rival Kevin Belingon. After the win, "The Flash" left his gloves in the center of the Circle, signaling the end of his storied career.

The Brazilian-Canadian legend competed in ONE since 2012, capturing the World Title a record 11 times. During the post-event press conference, ONE Championship Chairman and CEO Chatri Sityodtong announced that Fernandes will be inducted into ONE Hall of Fame at ONE 172: Takeru vs. Rodtang on March 23.

"Bibiano will be in Saitama Super Arena next month, March 23, to be the second person to be inducted into the Hall of Fame of ONE Championship. [He had] a legendary career. The name 'Bibi' was born in Japan," Sityodtong said.

"And, obviously, the sport of mixed martial arts was born in Japan, so we felt it was fitting for Bibiano to be inducted into the Hall of Fame at Saitama Super Arena."

Meanwhile, in the next fight, 35-year-old Martin Nguyen suffered a decision loss against Shamil Gasanov in their featherweight battle. In his post-fight interview with Mitch Chilson, the first-ever two-division ONE MMA World Champion shocked fans by announcing his retirement.

After the interview, "The Situ-Asian" also left his gloves in the Circle. Nguyen competed under the ONE banner 20 times. Along the way, he scored victories over big names like Christian Lee, Marat Gafurov, and Eduard Folayang.

"This is a goodbye from me, guys. I love you all, from the bottom of my heart. This is my time, guys. I feel like when it's time, its time. And I feel like this is the right time," Nguyen said in an emotional post-fight interview.