Stephen “The Sniper” Loman impressed many people in his ONE Championship debut, and it quickly reflected on the updated athlete rankings.
Loman is now at number three in the bantamweight top five after his one-punch KO win over Yusup “Maestro” Saadulaev at ONE: WINTER WARRIORS II last December 17.
It has been a busy stretch for the bantamweight division as Loman moved alongside #2-ranked “Pretty Boy” Kwon Won Il, who finished former ONE Bantamweight World Champion Kevin “The Silencer” Belingon.
Belingon dropped to number five while Saadulaev is out of the top rankings.
Sitting atop the bantamweight contender’s list is John “Hands of Stone” Lineker, who will challenge longtime ONE Bantamweight World Champion Bibiano “The Flash” Fernandes at ONE: BAD BLOOD.
It’s no surprise that Loman quickly joined the division’s elite, especially with his impressive resume before joining ONE.
The Baguio City-based competitor came into The Home of Martial Arts with an eight-bout winning streak that started in 2016.
He dominated the Middle East mixed martial arts scene by winning the bantamweight championship there and cleaned house by defending his title five times. The Team Lakay mainstay joined ONE to conquer bigger challenges, including the quest for a world title.
However, it’s not all good news for the fabled gym as Danny “The King” Kingad also slipped to number four in the flyweight rankings after a frustrating decision loss to Kairat “The Kazakh” Akhmetov. The victory gave the number three spot to the wrestler from Almaty.
They’re chasing #2-ranked Yuya “Little Piranha” Wakamatsu, who will face Adriano “Mikinho” Moraes at ONE X on 26 March. Also competing on that card is top-ranked flyweight Demetrious “Mighty Mouse” Johnson, who will clash with ONE Flyweight Muay Thai World Champion Rodtang “The Iron Man” Jitmuangnon.
Dagestani combatant Saygid Izagakhmaev also claimed the fifth spot in the lightweight division. The newcomer left a lasting impression after dominating former world title challenger James Nakashima during his ONE debut at ONE: HEAVY HITTERS last 17 January.
ONE Championship’s treats for 2022 will continue with ONE: ONLY THE BRAVE on 28 January. Download the ONE Super App to watch the fights live.
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