Loman, Efrain, Brave, and the meaning of mixed martial arts
Stephen Loman from Philippines and Brazilian powerhouse Felipe Efrain and their teams and their respective teams took a moment to stand for what the sport should be about.
Mixed martial arts is known for intensive rivalries that spill out of the cage from time to time. Stephen Loman from Philippines will be defending his bantamweight title at Brave 18 on 16 November in Bahrain vs. Brazilian powerhouse Felipe Efrain. Both fighters and their respective teams took a moment ahead of the world championship title fight to express mutual respect and to take a stand on what the sport should really be all about.
Team Chute Boxe and Team Lakay met and greeted each other in a mutual show of respect while Stephen Loman and Felipe Efrain were cutting weight and preparing for the fight feet apart in the same gym. Both the teams also posed for a photograph to showcase their mutual admiration for each other.
“I’ve been waiting for this moment since my first Brave fight. I’ve met Stephen before when we fought in Bahrain and we talked a little bit. I have nothing against him, but I’m going for the belt. I’ve been training hard and I hope he is too,” said Efrain, whose sentiments were echoed by his head coach, Diego Lima.
“Martial arts is about respect,” said Lima. “Just because two people compete it doesn’t mean they need to hate each other. With this gesture, we showcase to the world how martial arts can change the world and connect fighters to a greater cause. We will give our fans a fight to remember and wish our opponent and his team to be at their best.”
Meanwhile, the champ said he was happy to have an opponent that stood for the same things he and his fight team stand for, which is respect and discipline. “The Sniper” also said he was looking forward to a great show on November 16th.
“Team Lakay stands for principles of discipline and respect,” said Loman. “Our fighters are role models for the society and we are happy to see fighters and teams who believe in the same concept. We look forward to a great fight at Brave 18.”
Brave 18 will be headlined by a lightweight title unification fight, as interim champion Lucas “Mineiro” takes on top contender Abdul-Kareem Al-Selwady. And before the co-main event between Loman and Efrain, Marcel Adur and Velimurad Alkhasov will face each other for the inaugural Brave flyweight title.