Stephen Loman feels ‘stronger’ with ONE Championship’s weigh-in system

Stephen Loman looked terrific in his promotional debut at ONE: Winter Warriors II, defeating No.3-ranked bantamweight contender Yusup Saadulaev with a spectacular first-round knockout.

Despite being known as a grappler and a wrestler, ‘The Sniper’ showed Team Lakay’s signature striking prowess by going toe-to-toe with his opponent on the feet.

Loman showcased the tremendous power he possesses, rocking Saadulaev at least twice during the match. His last explosive connection, a looping overhand left, ultimately ended the bout despite the Russian’s failed attempt to walk it off.

Check out Loman's performance below:

In an interview with ONE Championship, Loman admitted that he feels more powerful and comfortable with the promotion’s weigh-in system. He said:

“Yes, I think I’m stronger here. Here, I don’t really have to cut weight mainly because of the difference in the weight class here. I don’t feel dehydrated, I don’t have a hard time cutting weight, and I was able to show it in this fight. Back then, I would always come in tired and drained and I’ll only have 24 hours of recovery time. I don’t think that’s enough. Here, I’m much more comfortable. I know I’m stronger.”

According to ONE Championship’s regulations, bantamweights can weigh in as high as 65.8 kilograms. The promotion banned weight cuts by dehydration to encourage fighters to compete at their natural weight.

As a result, weight classes are a little different in ONE Championship. For instance, the match between Stephen Loman and Saadulaev was at the ONE bantamweight limit of 145 lbs. In other promotions, this would have been classified as a featherweight contest.

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Stephen Loman’s journey to ONE Championship

While this is Stephen Loman’s first match in ONE Championship, he is a veteran fighter with years of experience under his belt.

The Baguio City-based fighter dominated the local scene early in his career. He even crossed paths with and defeated ONE Warrior Series alumnus in Mark Abelardo back in 2016.

In the same year, he competed in the first-ever Brave Combat Federation event in Bahrain, and later won the promotion’s inaugural bantamweight title. Stephen Loman defended the title four times before moving to ONE Championship.

With his win against Saadulaev, Stephen Loman improved his professional record to 15-2. He has not tasted defeat since 2016.