John Lineker praises Stephen Loman, says he will be next challenger for belt

John Lineker believes Stephen Loman is the next man in line for a shot at the ONE bantamweight world championship.

Loman scored the biggest win of his career at ONE on Prime Video 4, defeating former bantamweight titleholder and ONE legend Bibiano Fernandes via unanimous decision.

The win solidified ‘The Sniper’ as the promotion’s No. 3 ranked contender, sitting right behind Fabricio Andrade and John Lineker, who are scheduled to compete against one another in February for the bantamweight crown.

In an interview with ONE Championship, Lineker discussed Stephen Loman’s impressive performance against Fernandes and believes the victory establishes him as the next man in line for a title opportunity:

“I saw that fight and he had a great performance against Bibiano Fernandes. Stephen Loman is a very versatile guy, a very tough fighter. He's a guy who goes to fight. I'm sure he will be the next challenger for the title.”

Before Loman gets his shot, the promotion will first need to crown a new bantamweight champion. Enter John Lineker and Fabricio Andrade, who will meet once again in the ONE on Prime Video 7 main event with 26.4 pounds of gold on the line.

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Unlike John Lineker, Fabricio Andrade was not impressed with Stephen Loman’s victory over Bibiano Fernandes

While John Lineker was complimentary of Stephen Loman’s performance against Bibiano Fernandes, No. 1 ranked contender Fabricio Andrade was significantly less impressed. Speaking to ONE Championship, Andrade said:

“It was a boring fight, but Loman showed that he is the next challenger for the belt. But just like Lineker, he didn't impress me because he beat a guy who is at the end of his career, who is almost retiring. It wasn't impressive at all, but he's the next challenger for the belt.”

Despite being unimpressed with Loman’s victory, he recognizes that the win makes Team Lakay's member standout as the next clear contender for the bantamweight title. Loman’s win over Fernandes was his third-straight inside the Circle and his 17th victory overall.

Meanwhile, Fabricio Andrade will be looking to secure his sixth win under the ONE Championship banner when he meets ‘Hands of Stone’ on February 10.

The two previously met at ONE on Prime Video 3 with the bantamweight crown on the line, but an ill-placed knee by Andrade put Lineker out of commission, resulting in the bout being ruled a no-contest.