“Next in Line Is Stephen Loman” – Fabricio Andrade Reveals His Primary Choice for His First Title Defense Bout

Fabricio “Wonder Boy” Andrade believes Stephen “The Sniper” Loman deserves the first shot at his newly acquired ONE Bantamweight World Title. “Wonder Boy” sees the Team Lakay standout as the most deserving fighter in the stacked division, given his perfect run of three wins inside the ONE Circle.

Andrade may be laying low after his fiery four-round war for the coveted crown against John “Hands of Stone” Lineker at ONE Fight Night 7, but that hasn’t stopped him from plotting his next move.

Fabricio Andrade compared John Lineker to his possible next opponent Stephen Loman

Speaking to ONE Championship, the 25-year-old said, “I intend to fight as soon as possible, but it will depend on my recovery. I will do everything to recover quickly from this hand injury to get back up in the ONE Circle. And next in line is Stephen Loman. So, he can start training now.”

The Brazilian warrior claimed the vacant strap inside Lumpinee Boxing Stadium in Bangkok, Thailand, last month, putting in arguably his best performance to date against a hard-hitting Lineker. He went toe-to-toe with the former titleholder until the end of the fourth stanza when Lineker was forced to quit on the stool due to injury.

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Though he sees Loman as the man he would like to stand across from inside the Circle next, Andrade still views “Hands of Stone” as the most dangerous threat to his reign.

Fabricio Andrade also rated John Lineker as the toughest ONE Bantamweight

Andrade had to be on the lookout for and withstand a barrage of punches from Lineker, and his match-winning weapons have put two bantamweight titleholders to sleep in his ONE tenure.

Comparing the former divisional king’s power to Loman’s, “Wonder Boy” added, “I think that Lineker, in my opinion, remains the toughest guy in the division. So, I think it will depend on the next fights. There’s already Stephen Loman in line, who beat [former World Champion] Bibiano Fernandes and should be the next to get a title shot.”

READ MORE – What’s Next for John Lineker? 3 Potential Fights for the Former Divisional King

Whether or not Loman gets a shot at Andrade’s prestigious strap remains to be seen. For now, though, Andrade is focused on recovery and enjoying his time as the undisputed king of the division.