ONE Championship: Stephen Loman sees himself fighting once more before title shot

Stephen Loman made the news during his ONE Championship: Winter Warriors II debut by knocking out Yusup Saadulaev in the first round. By beating the No.3-ranked fighter in the bantamweight division, 'The Sniper' does not want to rush a title shot for his next bout.

Bibiano Fernandes is slated to defend his bantamweight belt against John Lineker in ONE Championship: X which takes place in the first quarter of 2022. While waiting for that bout to commence, Loman sees himself fighting another ranked fighter to solidify his chances of getting a title shot.

"I think he [Lineker] is next for the title shot. I think they will give me one more fighter ranked higher than me before I face whoever wins that match," said Loman in an interview with the Philippine media.

The ONE Championship bantamweight division is going to be very interesting to monitor. The Winter Warriors II fight card had some movers in the rankings and everyone would like a title shot.

Fabricio Andrade scored a first-round knockout against Li Kai Wen in the lead card while Kwon Won Il pulled out an upset win over No.2-ranked Kevin Belingon with a second-round knockout.

Both winners expressed that they wanted a title shot during their post-match interviews. With the logjam in the ONE Championship bantamweight division, it is probably logical for Loman to fight either competitor to solidify their case to fight for the belt.

Nonetheless, Loman is just glad to get the butterflies out of his stomach and show that he belongs in the ONE Championship roster. Loman said:

"I showed everyone what I’ve been training for and it bore fruit. This is a good sign and I will do my best for my next fight."

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Stephen Loman figures out Yusup Saadulaev's strategy early in ONE Championship debut

Stephen Loman came into his bout against Yusup Saadulav with a strategy in mind. Going through the first round, the Filipino fighter was able to read his opponent early and found a way to get through his opponents' defense.

"When I was watching him, his wrestling and grappling were really good but he is also good in the striking department," said Loman. "I think the jab-straight whenever I throw a kick, he will always counter that. When I found my range and measured him, that is when I got my good timing."

The plan went well and it was something Loman had been working on ahead of his debut in ONE Championship.

"It was what I’ve been training for in the gym. I always do that. It became my instinct during the fight. When I saw the jab-straight, I lowered my headand hee got hit with the overhand left punch," said Loman.