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No.5-ranked bantamweight contender Stephen Loman is sharpening his skills in preparation for his much-anticipated matchup with former division king Bibiano Fernandes. If you ask him, he has known this fight would occur for a while now.
'The Sniper' is set to take on the No.4-ranked Fernandes at ONE on Prime Video 4 in a pivotal bantamweight clash. Loman defeated Shoko Sato via unanimous decision in his previous bout.
The victory set this upcoming top-contender fight with Fernandes up. According to Loman, he has envisioned this match taking place for a long time. He told ONE:
"Actually, I’ve always thought that Bibiano and I would be fighting even when I was still the champion in my previous organization. Some of the fans kept telling me ‘you will face Bibiano soon’ and that got me excited, to be honest. Just hearing that gives me that rush, you know. That’s why every time I trained, I always pictured myself going up against Bibiano, and now that it’s finally here, I’m really ready."
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The 30-year-old bantamweight has been readying his game at Team Lakay gym.
Stephen Loman eyes title fight with a win over Fernandes
Despite making just two appearances under the ONE Championship banner, Loman is already knocking on the door for a title shot. 'The Sniper' is well aware of the stakes in his upcoming fight. He said to ONE:
“Even before and now this is it. So I’m very excited for this fight. This is my chance to focus on fighting him and defeating him because he’s the No.1-ranked [contender]. And if I beat him, I will have the chance to fight for the title.”
With disarray at the top of the bantamweight division, a win over a former champion like Fernandes could very well earn Stephen Loman a title opportunity.
Notably, the belt is currently vacant following the no-contest ruling in the ONE on Prime Video 3 main event title bout between John Lineker and Fabricio Andrade.
Make sure to watch top five bantamweights Stephen Loman and Bibiano Fernandes face off at ONE on Prime Video 4 on November 18, live from the Singapore Indoor Stadium.
