Stephen Loman announces departure from Team Lakay, thanks coach Mark Sangiao 

Stephen Loman will no longer be training and representing Team Lakay.

‘The Sniper’ officially confirmed his departure from the Benguet-based MMA stable in an emotional Facebook post on January 10, 2024.

Currently ranked second in ONE Championship’s stacked bantamweight MMA rankings, Loman said his desire to begin another chapter in his career sparked his decision to leave his longtime training grounds.

“My departure with Team Lakay is not the end of my MMA career but is just another chapter of my MMA career. [I’ll] continue to fight under the ONE Championship promotion which has been very supportive of me since day one that I competed in such promotion.”

Moreover, Loman assured that things are amicable between him and his now former coach, Mark Sangiao.

The 28-year-old Filipino even expressed his gratitude to the Team Lakay head honcho for guiding him throughout his career. Loman wrote:

“I personally thank him for all the help that he extended me to become a better fighter and because of his guidance , I am where I am today. Moreover, I conveyed to him my desire to leave the team and after some discussions, he acceded and peacefully granted my request to leave the team and actually, he even bade me good luck to my future endeavor.”

As of writing time, Stephen Loman has yet to address which gym he plans to affiliate himself with next.

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Stephen Loman is not the first ONE fighter to bid farewell to Team Lakay

The Philippine MMA scene was certainly rocked to its core last year after Eduard Folayang’s exit opened the floodgates to what is now called the ‘Team Lakay Exodus’.

The former ONE lightweight MMA world champion decided to form his own team, Lions Nation MMA, which now also houses former Team Lakay athletes Joshua Pacio, Kevin Belingon, Honorio Banario, Jeremy Pacatiw, and Jenelyn Olsim.

Lito Adiwang also left Team Lakay but chose to set up camp overseas with Soma Fight Club in Bali, Indonesia.