Lito Adiwang Hails Team Lakay Stablemate Stephen Loman; Expects a Bibiano Fernandes Route for Him to the Bantamweight King

Published 06/22/2022, 3:03 AM EDT

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Lito “Thunder Kid” Adiwang is convinced that his longtime teammate Stephen “The Sniper” Loman is one of the most well-rounded fighters in the bantamweight division.

The ONE strawweight athlete had nothing but praise for the #4-ranked fighter, adding that his diverse skill set makes him a tricky puzzle to solve.

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“Most people would say Team Lakay fighters are strikers, but Stephen Loman is the complete package. That makes him really special,” the 29-year-old said.

“He can play on the ground. He can outwrestle you, and as we’ve seen, he can knock you out too. That’s what makes him special.”

Loman, one of the newest additions to the ONE roster from the world-renowned gym in Baguio City, has gotten his tenure off to a perfect start.

In his promotional debut, the 30-year-old fighter earned a highlight-reel finish of Yusup Saadulaev at ONE: WINTER WARRIORS II and maintained his charge with a brilliant decision win over Japanese veteran Shoko Sato at ONE X in March.

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Both performances offered an insight into his well-rounded skill set. And that has only made Adiwang even more excited to watch his countryman compete again.

“[I’m] really excited for his future. We’ve seen how strong he is, his entire arsenal. I’m excited because he’s good at a lot of things. He’s not only a striker, he can roll in the ground, he can wrestle, he’s the complete package.”

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Having spent numerous hours honing his craft with “The Sniper” and catching his performances inside the ONE Circle has led Adiwang to believe that Loman will eventually challenge for the ONE Bantamweight World Title.

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“Thunder Kid” admits that the road towards the divisional gold will be a challenging one, but should Loman earn a win over former king Bibiano Fernandes, it should make him a clear favorite.

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“[Stephen] really rose up the rankings fast. If he can win one more fight, I think he’ll face either the top contender or the champion, especially if he gets Bibiano [Fernandes] next,” he stated.

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“If he gets Bibiano and he beats him, I think he deserves a shot at the probable winner between [Fabricio] Andrade and [John] Lineker. I truly think he’s close to [fighting for] the belt.”

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Written by:

Deepak Kumar

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Deepak Kumar is a UFC author at EssentiallySports. His love for MMA comes from the chaos and violence the fight game brings to the table. A BJJ aspirant, Deepak began following the sport as a casual fan when Ronda Rousey was finishing her opponents in seconds.
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Edited by:

Reubyn Coutinho