Bibiano Fernandes says he will fight Stephen Loman "wherever he wants"

Former ONE bantamweight champion Bibiano Fernandes will return to competition at ONE on Prime Video 4, facing rising contender Stephen Loman.

At 42 years of age, Fernandes still believes that he has a lot to show in his career and the comeback trail starts with this fight. Losing his world championship earlier this year to John Lineker, it can’t be overlooked just how dominant Fernandes was as a champion. He produced one of the best runs in ONE Championship history with his grappling skills.

Facing Stephen Loman, the fight could be seen as a classic striker vs. grappler match-up, despite both fighters being very capable wherever the fight goes. In an interview with The MMA Superfan, Fernandes spoke about how feels going into the fight and his thoughts on his opponent:

“For this fight, I’m very confident. Not too confident because I respect my opponent, but I can fight anywhere. I can stand up, I can go to the ground, wherever he wants. He brings the fight and I’ll be there.”

Watch the full interview below:

Stephen Loman has looked impressive since debuting in ONE Championship, producing back-to-back wins. With the bantamweight world championship currently vacant, a win over a fighter like Loman could catapult Bibiano Fernandes right back to where he was at the start of the year.

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Stephen Loman believes a win over Bibiano Fernandes will lead to world title opportunity

‘The Sniper’ Stephen Loman has found himself right in the bantamweight title picture after his impressive start in ONE Championship. The Filipino contender will face the former champion, Bibiano Fernandes, in his next fight at ONE on Prime Video 4.

In an interview with ONE Championship, the Team Lakay representative spoke about the stakes at play in this match-up:

"I believe that winning this will give me a chance to contend for a world title in ONE, which would be another goal to reach. I’m determined to face all these ranked opponents so that I can prove myself worthy to challenge for that world championship."

With the bantamweight world championship currently vacant, either fighter could put themselves into a title shot if they’re able to make a statement with their performance. Loman added that he might be seeking a finish in this fight:

"If I see the opportunity to finish him, I won’t hesitate. End the fight as soon as possible, that’s always the goal. I won’t make any predictions right now, but I believe I have the tools to finish Bibiano Fernandes."