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MMA: Team Lakay's Loman eager to pass Bibiano Fernandes test

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<div class="embed-wrap"><figure data-feedback="fb:likes,fb:comments"><img alt="Team Lakay" s="" Stephen="" Loman.="" Handout="" src="https://sa.kapamilya.com/absnews/abscbnnews/media/2022/news/10/31/20221031-stephen-loman.jpg"/><figcaption>Team Lakay&#x27;s Stephen Loman. Handout photo. </figcaption></figure></div>MANILA, Philippines -- Brazilian star Bibiano Fernandes was still lording over ONE&#x27;s bantamweight division when Stephen Loman joined ONE Championship last year.Immediately, Loman knew that he would one day face off against the Brazilian legend, especially if he hoped to claim a world championship. He will finally get 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. &quot;In the past, I thought I was going to be matched up with him, but that didn&#x27;t happen. So for sure, my excitement for that match is still there. He&#x27;s the guy who defeated Kuya Kevin [Belingon], so I want to face him to see where my level is at right now,&quot; said Loman.Fernandes has since lost the bantamweight championship to John Lineker earlier this year, but he is still the top contender in the division. Loman, who is ranked fourth, believes that a win against Fernandes brings him one step closer to the now-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. Loman was given a tough challenge in his ONE debut and he passed with flying colors by knocking out BJJ black belt Yusup Saadulaev last year. He kept that momentum going with a dominant decision victory over Shoko Sato at ONE X this past March. While he acknowledged that Fernandes is a different beast altogether, Loman feels those fights have helped him become a much better fighter. &quot;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&#x27;m right up there with the top guys,&quot; he said.Loman has reason to be confident heading into the match against Fernandes, as he is getting advice from a fighter who is very familiar with &quot;The Flash.&quot;Fernandes has figured in four fights against Team Lakay&#x27;s Kevin Belingon, winning three of them. Belingon has since passed the torch to Loman and is already teaching him the tricks of the trade against the BJJ savant. &quot;When [Kevin Belingon] learned about my upcoming fight, he told me that I can beat Bibiano because he&#x27;s old already. Kidding aside, I think it will be a factor because he&#x27;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,&quot; said Loman.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&#x27;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. &quot;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,&quot; said Loman.&quot;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,&quot; he added.&quot;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&#x27;m determined to face all these ranked opponents so that I can prove myself worthy to challenge for that world championship.&quot; Related video:<figure class="op-interactive"><iframe height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/8B0t912wMhs?enablejsapi=1" width="560"></iframe></figure><div class="iwantbar">Watch more News on <a href="https://www.iwanttfc.com/#!/browse/Genres/News/tag_id_genres/id_news" target="_blank">iWantTFC</a></div>

Brazilian star Bibiano Fernandes was still lording over ONE's bantamweight division when Stephen Loman joined ONE Championship last year.