Despite short notice, Stephen Loman seeks impressive win at ONE X
Team Lakay’s Stephen Loman. ONE PHOTO
SINGAPORE–Filipino bantamweight bet Stephen Loman is looking for a convincing victory on Saturday when he takes on Japan’s Shoko Sato in part one of the ONE X card at Singapore Stadium.
Loman was a late addition to the 10th anniversary card, which will feature 20 fights in the promotion’s biggest event yet here, but the Team Lakay star believes it’s not going to be an issue given how hard he prepared.
“Even if this fight was on short notice, I want to win in a way that is impressive,” Loman said during a media interview on Wednesday. “I was consistently training even when I had no fights lined up yet. We were both given three weeks to study and prepare so I’m ready for this fight. I know my game plan against him.”
Loman said that he is anticipating Sato to take the fight to ground, but he and his team led by coach Mark Sangiao have devised a game plan to counter whatever the Japanese fighter has in store for him.
“Shoko will not hesitate to take me down, that’s why I need to move and avoid it. But if ever I get taken down, I need to be able to defend. I need to stand up,” said Loman, who said he is anticipating a knockout victory.
“We’ve seen in his fights, he’s very good on the ground–his leg locks, his chokes–and he’s very good in jiujitsu. Those are his strengths so we prepared for that.”
A victory for Loman, who just joined ONE Championship last year but was already able to barge his way into No. 3 in the bantamweight rankings thanks to his impressive debut, could push him closer to a title shot and that serves as his biggest motivation.
“The pressure is there especially now I’m in the [top 5 of the] rankings. I need to focus every time and be prepared because anytime ONE Championship will give me a fight,” Loman said.
“I was hoping they’d give me the fight against the No. 2 rank [Kwon Won-il], but I was entered as a substitute. But if ONE says they’ll give me another fight so I can move up closer to the top [I’m game], then I’ll request a title shot.”
