Fabricio Andrade capped off his ascent to the top of ONE Championship’s bantamweight division with a fourth-round stoppage victory over John Lineker at ONE Fight Night 7 this past weekend. With the championship belt over his shoulder, an emotional Andrade wiped away a happy tear and proceeded to name who he would like to be the first challenger to his new throne.
While “Wonder Boy” has no shortage of opponents in the stacked weight bracket over which he now reigns, it wasn’t a surprise that he named the next highest-ranked contender as the first in line.
Filipino star and third-ranked bantamweight Stephen Loman is the man Andrade wants to face off against next. The Team Lakay star joined ONE in 2021, and quickly asserted himself in the division as a key player. After back-to-back wins inside the Circle, Loman got his chance at former divisional king Bibiano Fernandes in his most recent outing last November.
Loman didn’t just defeat the Brazilian legend. He dominated him for three rounds. It was an emphatic statement to the entire bantamweight division that he had arrived as a top challenger. Now the 27-year-old has Andrade in his crosshairs.
All credit should go to the new champion for wasting no time calling out “The Sniper.” He didn’t tip-toe around the question and immediately brought his next opponent to the front of the queue, proving himself as an all-action fighter.
If this matchup happens next for both men, it should be moved to the top of any list for most anticipated bout of 2023. It promises to be a thriller from start to finish, featuring two of the brightest bantamweights in the world today.
Andrade vs. Loman is the perfect first title defense for “Wonder Boy” and is another chance for Team Lakay to shine and bring the coveted strap back to the Philippines.