Filipino mixed martial arts world champion Stephen “The Sniper” Loman made history when he extended his reign as Brave Combat Federation world bantamweight champion for 1,000 days last week.
The Bahrain-based Brave CF has congratulated its longest reigning world champion, saying it is one of the rare accomplishments for a professional MMA fighter.
The 25-year-old Loman started his reign as a world champion after defeating Gurdarshan Mangat for the title on Nov. 17, 2017.
Coming into the fight as an underdog, Loman has shocked everyone by knocking out his opponent in the first round. The win sent shockwaves through the world of MMA, and he instantly became a fan favorite back in his home country.
Before he could defend his throne in front of his fans, however, Loman would go around the world defeating some of the best bantamweight fighters in the world.
Starting with rival Frans Mlambo, a teammate of Conor McGregor, Loman dug deep and dominated his opponent throughout in front of McGregor and defended his title for the first time.
In November 2018, Loman faced Felipe Efrain, the most dangerous striker in the division. The logical step would be to constantly go for takedowns, but Loman displayed yet another stellar performance to defend his belt once again.
Four months later at Brave CF 22, Loman took on former featherweight world champion Elias Boudegzdame and showed why he was the present and the future of Filipino MMA. In the most dominant performance of his career, he stopped his opponent in the fourth round via technical knockout to retain his title.
His latest title defense came in November of last year, as he once again dominated his opposition, this time handing Louie Sanoudakis his first loss in his Brave CF career in India.
Despite of the Covid-19 pandemic, Loman remains relentless in his high-altitude training, as Brave CF also resumes its fight promotion last month. – Harley F. Palangchao
April 20, 2024
