Loman sets up ONE bantamweight clash with Lineker

By Leobert Julian A. de la Peña

After two years, Filipino mixed martial artist (MMA) Stephen Loman finally got his wish.

It’s on. Loman’s winning streak in the famous ONE Fighting Championship cage will be put on the line when he battles the hard-hitting John Lineker at ONE Fight Night 14 on September 30, 2023, to be held at the Singapore Indoor Stadium.

Loman, the no. 2 ranked bantamweight, will be looking to overtake Lineker’s place as the no. 1 contender in the division.

The former BRAVE CF world champion is currently on a three-fight winning streak since making his debut in the ONE promotions last December 3, 2021.

Loman shocked the MMA world after scoring a knockout victory over Yusup Saadulaev to clinch his first win at ONE and followed it up with an impressive unanimous decision victory against Shoko Sato last March 26, 2022.

Perhaps his biggest victory so far was against former champion Bibiano Fernandes last November 18, 2022, via a unanimous decision win during ONE on Prime Video 4.

Loman out-maneuvered Fernandes during their bout and dominated him with his slick ground game backstopped by his on-point stand-up striking game.

After his win over Fernandes, Loman was quickly inserted into the list of candidates that can challenge Fabricio Andrade for the current bantamweight championship title.

However, Loman must first take care of Lineker this coming September. An all-out brawler who is widely known for his heavy hands, the Brazilian MMA veteran is no doubt one of the strongest strikers in the whole ONE fighter pool.

Lineker challenged Andrade for the title last March but the results favored the current title-holder after pulling off a striking clinic.

Andrade proved to be too fast for Lineker as his fluid head movement and quick lateral footwork caused tons of problems for the Brazilian to pull the trigger.

Now that the bout between Loman and Lineker is inked, who will emerge victorious? Can the rising Filipino star handle the Brazilian’s power? Who will challenge Andrade for the belt?