Bibiano Fernandes was still lording over ONE’s bantamweight division right around the time Stephen Loman joined the world’s largest martial arts organization last year.
“The Sniper” knew right away that to make his World Title aspirations a reality, he’d somehow have to go through the Brazilian legend, one way or the other. Somehow, a collision course against “The Flash” has always felt inevitable.
Loman finally gets his wish in the main card of ONE on Prime Video 4: Abbasov vs. Lee at the Singapore Indoor Stadium on November 19.
The Team Lakay fighter will be taking on the toughest challenge of his career in what could be a potential World Title eliminator in the 145-pound ranks.
“In the past, I thought I was going to be matched up with him, but that didn’t happen. So for sure, my excitement for that match is still there. He’s the guy who defeated Kuya Kevin [Belingon], so I want to face him to see where my level is at right now,” said Loman.
While Fernandes lost his golden strap to John Lineker earlier this year, he’s still ranked #1 in the division. Loman, who’s ranked fourth, knows a win against Fernandes brings him one step closer to thenow-vacant ONE Bantamweight World Title.
The Filipino fighter currently holds a 16-2 professional MMA record and is riding high on a 10-fight winning streak. His last two victories in the Circle have come against high-level competition.
There was no such thing as a feeling-out process for Loman in ONE, as he was thrown into the lion’s den straight away. He lived up to the hype and more by knocking out BJJ black belt Yusup Saadulaev in his ONE debut last year.
Loman kept that momentum going with a dominant decision victory over Shoko Sato at ONE X this past March.
While he acknowledges that Fernandes is a different beast altogether, Loman feels those fights have helped him become a much better fighter.
The 27-year-old said: “Yusup [Saadulaev] was on a different level, and so was Shoko Sato, and those experiences helped me see my own weaknesses and work on them. The level of competition is that much higher in ONE Championship, so I need to step up my own game to make sure that I’m right up there with the top guys.”
Stephen Loman gets advice from former Fernandes foe Kevin Belingon
Bibiano Fernandes is a wanted man in the mountains of Baguio—particularly inside the Team Lakay camp. After all, the AMC Pankration fighter figured in several wars against Loman’s teammate Kevin Belingon.
After winning three of his four encounters with Belingon, it’s safe to say that Fernandes got the better of that rivalry. Now, “The Silencer” is passing the torch to Loman and is already teaching him the tricks of the trade against the BJJ savant.
Loman shared: “When [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 Lineker as he was able to knock him down.”
Although Fernandes lost to Lineker in his most recent outing, the veteran also proved that he still has a lot left in the tank. The submission specialist, who isn’t known for his striking, was able to floor Lineker who is notorious for possessing a granite chin.
With that said, Loman believes Fernandes is still a formidable opponent even at his advanced age.
“I expect that his explosiveness is still there, as well as his striking. I will be especially watching out for his wrestling and obviously, his jiu-jitsu. Those are the things that I need to prepare for.”
He added: “Overall, I fully expect him to still have his strength, especially on the ground. Even Kevin agrees that he will still be a formidable challenge if our fight goes to the ground.”
Moreover, Loman bore his ultimate goal of adding a ONE Word Title to his trophy case.
“I believe that winning this will give me a chance to contend for a world title in ONE, which would be another goal to reach. I’m determined to face all these ranked opponents so that I can prove myself worthy to challenge for that world championship.”