STEPHEN Loman has been out of action for a while but is keeping himself fit as he seeks a shot at the One bantamweight title held by Fabricio Andrade.
Loman had two big wins last year — unanimous decision victories over Shoko Sato and Bibiano Fernandes — but has yet to return to the cage. Still, Team Lakay believes Loman could be next in line for the Brazilian champion.
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In fact, Andrade was the one to call out Loman after beating John Lineker in February.
“Even if there’s no scheduled fight for me yet, training continues. I’ve been working on my weaknesses. I’ve been working on my conditioning and adding strength while polishing my striking,” Loman said.
“There’s already a set program should there be a fight offered, but for now, I’m just training to stay in shape.”
Stephen Loman is hoping to get another big fight after beating Bibiano Fernandes.
Facing Andrade will be the biggest test Loman’s more than 10 years in MMA.
The Brazilian has six wins, a no contest and no losses since moving to One Championship.
“Fabricio Andrade is a very good striker. His reach is impeccable, his boxing is very good, and he has kicks and knees as well. I have to look out for those knees. That’s what he wants to do. He wants to dig deep into the body and then rain down knees on you,” said Loman.
“He knows how to create distance. He uses his reach to damage his opponents from afar. His timing is good, he’s got quick reflexes. That’s why he gets what he wants in the Circle. That timing, speed, and reach will be something I have to look out for.”
“On the ground, I think that’s where I have an advantage,” he said.
“Now I’m training my techniques in takedowns and the ground. I’m working on different submissions to add to my ground-and-pound game.”
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