Team Lakay react to Stephen Loman's sensational TKO at ONE: Winter Warriors II

Celebratory scenes were witnessed across Team Lakay in Baguio City, Philippines, as Stephen Loman scored a huge TKO win against Yusup Saadulaev at ONE: Winter Warriors II.

Stephen Loman’s character and willingness to engage in a war with the No.3-ranked bantamweight fighter made the win more special. Even his stablemates, some 2000-odd kilometers away, passionately celebrated his first win under the Singapore-based promotion.

Before the highlight-reel finish arrived, both warriors were throwing out everything in their striking arsenal.

The Russian connected with a couple of power punches while Stephen Loman found a home for his hook-cross combinations, jab-punch, kicks and his venomous left hand, which sent Saadualev backpedaling half the distance of the Circle.

From that very strike, ‘The Sniper’ continued picking apart the 36-year-old athlete before he landed a huge overhand left that sent Saadulaev crashing to the canvas. As his Russian foe fell to the ground, his training partners at Team Lakay reeled away in celebration.

Before Stephen Loman got the job done in the opening frame, his Team Lakay stablemate Jhanlo Sangiao, son of the gym’s head coach Mark Sangiao, submitted Indonesian veteran Paul Lumihi in the first round earlier in the evening.

While the two debutants showed that they are a true force to be reckoned with on the global stage, their other teammates Kevin Belingon and Danny Kingad were unsuccessful on the card, which aired via tape delay last Friday, December 17.

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What's next for Stephen Loman?

There was plenty of hype surrounding Stephen Loman’s debut and he certainly lived up to it from the opening bell.

The five-time MMA champion doesn't have many knockouts on his resume. However, by emphatically stopping a fighter whose last defeat came a considerable while ago, Stephen Loman has proven a point: that he is ready to compete with the top bantamweights in the promotion.

Before the fight, the 26-year-old revealed that he was frustrated because he had to withdraw from his initial debut fight against No.1-ranked John Lineker after testing positive for COVID-19.

Now that he has taken out the No.3-ranked fighter in the division, he is en route to a shot at the winner of the Bibiano Fernandes vs. Lineker clash, which is set for ONE X in early 2022.