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Fabricio Andrade of Brazil didn't mince words when explaining why Stephen Loman isn't ready for a shot at his ONE bantamweight MMA world championship.
‘Wonder Boy’ will be defending his 26 pounds of gold in the main event of ONE Fight Night 38 against streaking Mongolian Enkh-Orgil Baatarkhuu.
Loman has been linked to a showdown with the champion, but Andrade insisted the Filipino warrior isn't the most deserving candidate.
The Evolve MMA and Tiger Muay Thai fighter explained to Nick Atkin of The Bangkok Post:
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"Yeah, I would like to fight him, but I cannot. He cannot go for the belt coming from a loss, you know. That's what I think. There was never—nobody never mentioned his name—but that's just what I think."
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Loman was garnering serious momentum in the home of martial arts after winning three straight bouts.
However, ‘The Sniper’ met former ONE bantamweight MMA world champion John Lineker at ONE Fight Night 14.
‘Hands of Stone’ outclassed the Lions Nation MMA affiliate across three rounds and halted his hot streak.
Meanwhile, Andrade believes Loman must rebuild his case to return to contention.
For now, the Brazilian’s sole focus remains on keeping his crown against Baatarkhuu.
Watch the full interview:
Fabricio Andrade says Enkh-Orgil Baatarkhuu is the rightful challenger
Fabricio Andrade took note of Enkh-Orgil Baatarkhuu's rise in the 145-pound division.
The Road to ONE: Mongolia winner raced to a 6-1 record in the home of martial arts and is currently on a red-hot three-fight winning streak.
'Wonder Boy' acknowledged his challenger's credentials to Nick Atkin:
"Yes, he's a good opponent. He's coming from good wins. He had a loss against Artem Belakh back in—I don't remember the exact date—but after that, he got three wins again. So, he's deserving, you know. So let's go."
ONE Fight Night 38 airs live in U.S. primetime from Bangkok, Thailand, on Dec. 5, exclusively on Prime Video for North American audiences.
