Fabricio Andrade urges Stephen Loman to challenge him for his newly-won world title

Fabricio Andrade delivered on his promise to finish John ‘Hands of Stone’ Lineker and capture the ONE bantamweight world championship on Friday night.

After leaving Malaysia empty-handed in October, ‘Wonder Boy’ made sure 26.4 pounds of ONE Championship gold was firmly wrapped around his waist following a spectacular fourth-round finish of the former ONE world champion in the ONE Fight Night 7 on Prime Video main event.

With the victory, Fabricio Andrade remained undefeated inside the circle and added a fourth-straight knockout to his incredible resume. Following the contest, ‘Wonder Boy’ was incredibly emotional as he let the moment sink in. Joining him inside the ring at the legendary Lumpinee Boxing Stadium, Mitch Chilson spoke to Andrade who shared his appreciation to ONE Championship, his fans around the world, and even John Lineker for bringing the fight to him in a rematch for the ages.

As far as what comes next for Fabricio Andrade, the newly crowned ONE bantamweight king decided to lay down a challenge to the general consensus No. 1 contender before leaving the ring on Friday night:

“We already got a contender in line. [Stephen] Loman, you want this? Come and get it.”

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How did Stephen Loman become the No. 1 contender to Fabricio Andrade's ONE world championship?

Though ONE Championship hasn’t officially confirmed Stephen Loman’s status as the next man in line for a ONE bantamweight title fight, both John Lineker and Fabricio Andrade have acknowledged ‘The Sniper’ as the most logical challenger given his impressive record inside the circle.

Debuting under the ONE banner in 2021, the Team Lakay standout immediately established himself as a potential contender with a first-round knockout of Yusup Saadulaev at ONE: Winter Warriors II. Three months later, he followed up that win with a unanimous decision over Shoko Sato at the promotion’s 10th-anniversary showcase ONE X in March 2022.

Of course, Stephen Loman’s biggest win came near the end of 2022 when he met former ONE bantamweight world champion and bonafide ONE Championship legend, Bibiano ‘The Flash’ Fernandes. Squaring off at ONE on Prime Video 4 in November, ‘The Sniper’ bested Fernandes, earning an impressive unanimous decision victory. The win, in the eyes of many, put him in pole position for a ONE bantamweight title opportunity.

Based on Fabricio Andrade’s comments on Friday night, two of those eyes belonged to him and it sounds like the two bantamweight brutes will square off inside the circle sooner or later.