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ONE's No.5-ranked bantamweight Stephen Loman is prepping for the biggest moment of his career. He'll face former long-time divisional king Bibiano Fernandes at ONE on Prime Video 4.
The 30-year-old earned this marquee matchup following back-to-back victories over Yusup Saadulaev and Shoko Sato. He feels as though he's fully prepared to take advantage of the upcoming opportunity.
In an interview with ONE Championship, Loman said:
"I am focused on nothing but Bibiano Fernandes right now. I believe this will be the toughest test of my career. I’ve had a good training camp, and I’m ready."
Loman has been sharpening his skills at the world-renowned Lakay Central Gym in the Philippines. His teammates include Kevin Belingon, Eduard Folayang, Joshua Pacio, and Lito Adiwang, amongst many others.
Stephen Loman turning added pressure into a positive
'The Sniper' isn't a stranger to pressure, having competed in title fights for other promotions. However, this fight at ONE on Prime Video 4 is a whole other level of pressure.
Still, Loman is using the added weight on his shoulders as motivation. He told ONE:
“We’re here already, so we really have to do our best to stay here at the top. But that extra pressure is also a bit of motivation for us. We always have to be positive and keep working to improve on what we are right now… Pressure is also important for me, I have to keep going at him, that's why I’m pushing myself hard in training.”
Fernandes will be gracing the circle for the first time since losing his bantamweight world title to John Lineker at ONE: Lights Out. Prior to that, he had reigned over the division across two reigns, making seven title defenses throughout his first stint as champ.
Interestingly, Loman has never undergone a losing streak as a pro, while Fernandes hasn't lost back-to-back fights since 2006.
Be sure to tune in to ONE on Prime Video 4 on November 18 to watch Stephen Loman take on Bibiano Fernandes in a pivotal bantamweight matchup.
Check out Stephen Loman's full fight against Shoko Sato below:
