Rising ONE Championship bantamweight title contender Stephen Loman claimed he is ready for the next step in his career in 2023 after claiming two big wins last year, beating Japanese veteran Shoko Sato and routing former ONE bantamweight world champion Bibiano Fernandes.
“I would look at it as a very good year,” Loman said, believing he has done all he could in 2022, and is now looking to use that momentum to make 2023 an even grander year for himself.
The past 12 months also taught Loman some lessons, especially in his fights against Sato and Fernandes.
However, he knows he is going to have to grow, as he could face the winner of the Fabricio Andrade-John Lineker clash for the ONE bantamweight world title this February.
“I have learned a lot this year. Having fought both Shoko Sato and Bibiano Fernandes, I have seen there will be no easy fights here. Both of them are veterans, and I have had to step up my game quickly,” he said.
“This year also taught me to push harder, persevere, knowing that the ones that I’ll be facing here are high-level veterans, so I have to push hard during training,” he added.
With his 2022 mission accomplished, Loman is setting the bar higher this year. In fact, he plans to end the next 12 months with ONE bantamweight world title around his waist.
“My goal in 2023 is to stay active, stay in tip-top condition, and the most important of all, capture the championship belt. I want a chance to compete for that belt and bring that belt home,” said the former longest bantamweight world champion in Brave Combat Federation. – ONE release
