Stephen Loman says Fabricio Andrade’s height advantage won’t be an issue

'The Sniper' Stephen Loman is now preparing for a world title clash against the bantamweight king 'Wonder Boy' Fabricio Andrade. Andrade was able to defeat 'Hands of Stone' John Lineker to capture the vacant ONE bantamweight world championship, and next in line is Loman.

After a perfect run in ONE Championship, including a victory over former titleholder Bibiano Fernandes, the Filipino fighter is looking forward to his showdown against the Brazilian champion.

However, 'Wonder Boy' will enter this match with a height advantage. Stephen Loman discussed the factor in an interview with Bong Lozada of The MMA Superfan:

'Yeah, I fought someone as tall as Fabricio before back when I was in Brave. Frans Mlambo, I think he was about 5’9”, pretty tall. He’s the tallest fighter I’ve ever faced and yeah it was a bit difficult fighting him. But I got the win in those fights."

Watch the full interview below:

Regardless of his opponent's height, Loman is confident he will be able to walk away from his match against Andrade as the ONE bantamweight world champion. The fight will likely be booked later in 2023.

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Stephen Loman on preparing for Fabricio Andrade

Fighting the division king Fabricio Andrade is a perilous matchup for any athlete. 'The Sniper' knows he will need to enter this match with an ironclad game plan to capture the throne.

In the same interview, Loman said:

“He has good height and reach. And because he is a striker, it works well for him. That’s why he’s a master in setting up his punches and his knees. [So] I have to come into this fight with the perfect game plan.”

Not only is Andrade a dangerous striker, he is also exceedingly tough. He absorbed bombs from the heavy-handed John Lineker and kept coming forward. Stephen Loman is impressed with the chin of 'Wonder Boy'. He added:

“I also felt that Fabricio was about to get knocked out but he just absorbed John’s punches. Then in the later rounds, Fabricio went at it. His straights always found the target and he wobbled John, but John managed to absorb it. That’s why, in my head, I was thinking, ‘Who’s gonna win this? John or Fabricio?'"