After his ONE bantamweight world title victory last weekend, Fabricio Andrade (9-2) is understandably on cloud nine.
On February 24, “Wonder Boy” captured the divisional crown when former champion and fierce rival John Lineker could no longer continue their emotionally-charged battle at ONE Fight Night 7. The veteran’s eyes were swollen shut following the fourth round, ultimately forcing his corner to throw in the towel and give the vacant strap to his Brazilian compatriot.
The 25-year-old achieved his dream and broke down in tears at Lumpinee Boxing Stadium in Bangkok, Thailand, but in his post-fight interview, he acknowledged that there were other people in line who wanted a shot at achieving their own dream – especially Stephen Loman (17-2), whom Andrade acknowledged was likely to be his first world title challenger.
“We all know we’ve already got a new contender in line,” he said. “Loman, if you want this, come and get it.”
This is clearly the next logical fight to make for “Wonder Boy,” and here are three reasons why it makes perfect sense.
1. Loman is riding an 11-fight win streak
Loman is on an absolute tear.
“The Sniper” is currently riding an incredible 11-fight win streak dating back to 2016, with three of those wins coming under the ONE banner.
The Filipino superstar has stepped up in competition with every fight and has proven himself worthy on each occasion.
Now, the logical next step for Loman is a shot at the bantamweight strap.
2. Loman dominated a legend last time out
The most recent of Loman’s 11 straight wins came against one of the promotion’s greatest fighters.
At ONE Fight Night 4, the 27-year-old bested legendary 11-time ONE bantamweight world champion Bibiano Fernandes via unanimous decision.
The victory was a statement win that every contender needs to break through to the top of the sport, and the Filipino’s performance was his most impressive yet.
Loman showed off his well-rounded skill set, outworking the Brazilian veteran both standing and on the ground. In 15 minutes, “The Sniper” proved that he is ready for the championship level.
3. Loman is next up in the rankings
To put in much simpler terms, Loman is next in line according to the ONE bantamweight rankings.
Andrade has now ascended from the No. 1 slot into world champion status, while Lineker remains at No. 2. The No. 1 position is vacant according to the current rankings.
That leaves Loman at No. 3, and while the Team Lakay representative was forced to bide his time as the Lineker-Andrade rivalry shook out, he is at the front of the queue now that the rematch between the Brazilian duo has taken place.
The only thing that might stand in his way could be a potential trilogy showdown between Andrade and Lineker, but all signs point to Loman being the next challenger for bantamweight supremacy.
