STEPHEN Loman had every reason to welcome the New Year with renewed energy and a sense of purpose.
As the calendar turned, the Filipino mixed martial artist found himself staring at a future filled with promise after a period defined by patience and perseverance.
Before saying goodbye to 2025, the 30-year-old Ifugao native received a long-awaited answer to his prayers. Loman inked a lucrative contract that guarantees his return to BRAVE Combat Federation, the promotion that helped shape his rise and where he once ruled as the longest-reigning bantamweight world champion.
The development assured him that activity and opportunity are once again firmly within reach.
It has been a long road back. Loman has not competed since a narrow decision loss to John Lineker under the ONE Championship banner in September 2023. The months that followed tested his resolve, but they also sharpened his hunger.
With his release from ONE and BRAVE CF welcoming him home, excitement now flows freely as he prepares to open a new chapter in his career.
“The new year feels special because I know I will finally be back where I belong,” Loman said in an exclusive interview with this article’s author. “Just knowing that I will be active again gives me a different kind of motivation every day.”
Fighting, however, is only part of the joy surrounding his fresh outlook. Last December 20, Loman married longtime partner Sheryl in an elegant ceremony held in Baguio City. The milestone added warmth and meaning to a year that demanded quiet strength.
After enduring over two years of uncertainty, the veteran of 20 MMA bouts could not have asked for a more meaningful way to close 2025.
“Last year ended with hope, and that is something I truly value,” Loman shared. “After everything that happened, I feel blessed to step into the next season of my life with peace and clarity.”
The combination of personal happiness and professional direction has given him plenty of fuel heading into the months ahead.
Following his wedding and the holidays, Loman returned to work at Landslide Martial Arts Training Center, the home of Lions Nation MMA, eager to build momentum early.
Plans for a honeymoon have been temporarily set aside. Loman revealed that he and his wife agreed to delay the celebration due to a possible call to action as early as April.
“My wife understands what this moment means to me,” he said. “Her support makes everything easier, and I am grateful to have someone who believes in the journey as much as I do.”
With stability restored inside and outside the cage, Loman finds himself driven by a familiar fire.
The circumstances have reignited his desire to work relentlessly and to remind the world of the dangerous precision that once made the moniker “Sniper” echo across BRAVE CF’s bantamweight ranks.
“I am determined to make the most of this opportunity,” Loman declared. “2026 is about proving that I am still here, still hungry, and ready to take every chance that comes my way.”
