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Second-ranked ONE bantamweight contender Stephen Loman admitted he initially felt slighted when the promotion opted to match Fabricio Andrade against Jonathan Haggerty.
After all, ‘The Sniper’ was the consensus no.1 contender for Andrade’s ONE bantamweight world title.
Instead of sulking about it, Loman remained professional and focused on the bright side of things.
The Team Lakay star, in a recent interview with The MMA Superfan, said he’ll use the extra time to sharpen his tools more and make sure he’s at his best physically and mentally when that elusive title shot finally comes:
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“As for the delay of the title shot, I feel like I can use the time to evolve as a fighter and step up my game for that inevitable championship fight with Andrade.”
Moreover, the 28-year-old stud has the utmost confidence in his ability to dethrone the top dog of the division. As far as Loman is concerned, the wait will only make his victory much sweeter. He added:
“I feel like I can go toe-to-toe with him and when that time comes, it’s time to shine.”
Loman will certainly have more time to study Andrade’s game, when the Brazilian embarks on a quest for two-sport supremacy at ONE Fight Night 15 on October 6.
‘Wonder Boy’ will be duking it out with Jonathan Haggerty for the vacant ONE bantamweight kickboxing throne.
Instead of waiting around for Andrade, Stephen Loman also opted to stay active by taking an extremely risky bout with knockout artist John Lineker at ONE Fight Night 14: Stamp vs Ham on Prime Video on September 29 at Singapore Indoor Stadium.
Some pundits questioned this decision, considering he could lose his top contender status to the heavy-hitting former 145-pound world titleholder.
Ever the optimist, Loman said he considers this opportunity to erase all doubts about his legitimacy as the next man in line.
Don’t miss these two explosive cards, which will air live on US Primetime. ONE Fight Night 14 and ONE Fight Night 15 is free for Prime Video subscribers in North America.
Watch Stephen Loman's full interview below:
