If you ask Team Lakay’s Lito “Thunder Kid” Adiwang about teammate Stephen “The Sniper” Loman, he’ll say his compatriot is ONE World Championship material in the making.
Loman, the current #4-ranked contender, has found himself in the thick of things in the division following big wins over Yusup Saadulaev, who he knocked out in the first round, and Shoko Sato, who defeated by split decision months later.
Adiwang wouldn’t be surprised if “The Sniper” gets a ONE Bantamweight World Title shot with another win, but if he’s to be asked, he hopes to see Loman beat the other top-ranked contenders first.
“I feel like he’ll get more experience by staying active and beating all the top guys. I think if he does that, he’ll be much more prepared if he gets a (ONE) World Title shot,” Adiwang said.
“We all know his capabilities. If he comes into the Circle 100 percent healthy, he’ll beat anyone.”
In just two fights in ONE, Loman has proven that he’s the complete package who can excel wherever the fight goes.
Against Saadulaev, Loman turned the match into a virtual striking contest, negating the Russian’s advantages on the ground and eventually getting the first-round knockout win.
Moreover, when Loman couldn’t land strikes against Sato, he switched things up, took down the Japanese veteran, and controlled him from the ground to get the hard-earned split-decision victory.
For Adiwang, that kind of well-roundedness is what will catapult Loman to the top.
“He’s a complete fighter. Most people would say Team Lakay fighters are strikers, but Stephen Loman is a complete package. That makes him really special,” Adiwang said.
“He can play on the ground, he can outwrestle you, and, as we’ve seen, he can knock you out too. That’s what makes him special.”
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