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ONE bantamweight rising star Stephen Loman made one of the most impressive ONE Championship debuts last year. 'The Sniper' had significant hype surrounding him even before entering the circle since he's already a world champion from a different promotion.
At ONE: Winter Warriors II in December 2021, Loman faced former ONE world title contender and grappling powerhouse Yusup 'Maestro' Saadulaev.
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Though Stephen Loman is more than capable of handling himself on the ground with the BJJ Blackbelt, he undeniably shines on the feet. In hindsight, it may have been a mistake for Saadulaev to risk things in a stand-up war with Wushu specialist Loman.
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Early on, Loman connected with his powerful overhand left that sent Saadulaev reeling backwards. Although 'Maestro' landed a few nifty left hands of his own, 'The Sniper' wasn't going to be denied as he exuded utter confidence despite getting tagged.
With less than a minute left in the first round, Loman once again connected with his overhand punch that sent Saadulaev to another dimension.
Although 'Maestro' was able to get up almost immediately, the damage was done already as he came crashing back down to the canvas.
Watch the full fight below:
Stephen Loman faces Bibiano Fernandes at ONE on Prime Video 4 in a title eliminator bout
Stephen Loman will have a tough task ahead of him at ONE on Prime Video 4 as he faces former ONE bantamweight world champion Bibiano Fernandes on November 18. The winner of the bout will be given a ONE bantamweight world title shot.
The event is live and free to North American audiences with a Prime Video subscription.
Fernandes is undeniably the most decorated fighter Loman has had to face in his career. 'The Flash' holds the record for most ONE world title defenses with eight. The Brazilian MMA icon, however, lost his belt to John Lineker a few months ago, after being nearly unstoppable for almost a decade.
Now, with nearly two decades of fighting years and pushing past 40, Fernandes' harshest critics consider him to be over the hill.
The ever-humble and respectful Loman, however, sees things differently. With valuable insight and advice from his Team Lakay teammate and former Fernandes rival, Kevin Belingon, Loman is not underestimating the multi-time BJJ world champion.
In an interview with ONE Championship, Stephen Loman spoke about Fernandes' skills and why he's not taking them for granted:
"When he [Kevin Belingon] learned about my upcoming fight, he told me that I can beat Bibiano because he’s old already. Kidding aside, I think it will be a factor because he’s already 42 years old. I believe his explosiveness will still be there - we saw it in his fight against [John] Lineker as he was able to knock him down. I’m not underestimating his strength and striking, especially in the first round."
