STEPHEN “The Sniper” Loman has his full confidence that he’s got John “Hands of Stone” Lineker all figured out ahead of their match at ONE Fight Night 14: Stamp vs. Ham on September 30 at the Singapore Indoor Stadium.
And he’s got one man to thank for: “The Fighting God” Kim Jae Woong.
“Almost same kami ni Kim, so pwede ko magamit yung gameplan niya,” he said.
Loman has been closely studying Lineker, especially in his last match against Kim. There, the former ONE Bantamweight World Champion evaded disaster with a brutal left hook and unleashed a barrage of punches to score the technical knockout victory with four seconds to spare in their clash at ONE Fight Night 13: Allazov vs. Grigorian last August.
In Loman’s eyes, avoiding that gaffe and staying true to his gameplan would greatly boost his chances of winning, and in turn take him a step closer in his dreams of challenging for the ONE Bantamweight World Championship currently held by Fabricio “Wonder Boy” Andrade.
“Mas mahaba yung reach ko at alam kong aabot yung reach ko sa kanya. So kailangan kong gamitin yun dahil yun ang effective,” the Team Lakay stalwart said.
But it’s not only through striking which Loman is looking to take Lineker down.
The no. 2-ranked bantamweight contender also believes that he’s a better wrestler and a more well-rounded game that he’s beaming with pride knowing that he can be competitive whether standing up or on the ground.
“Imi-mix ko lahat ng tools ko sa striking at sa ground. Pwede na ako yung sumugod pero pwede rin akong maging defensive. Marami akong pwedeng gawin sa laban namin,” he said.
Nonetheless, Loman said that patience will be the key for him, to execute his gameplan to a tee while avoiding the same mistakes that Kim committed against Lineker.
“Basta focus lang ako sa laban. Patience lang. I think makikipagsabayan ako sa striking niya pero hintay lang tayo sa tamang pagkakataon,” he said.