Stephen Loman may be facing a high-profile opponent in his next outing, but his former teammate is confident that he has a good chance of leaving the arena with his hand raised in triumph.
Loman will face former ONE bantamweight champion John Lineker in a potential world title eliminator. This bout will take place on the undercard of ONE Fight Night 14, scheduled for this Saturday, September 30th, at the Singapore Indoor Stadium.
Jeremy Pacatiw, who once trained with Loman under the same roof at Team Lakay, firmly believes that his compatriot is more than capable of moving closer to a title shot against division kingpin Fabricio Andrade.
(C) ONEFC.com
“I’m super happy for Stephen. He possesses all the qualities of a great champion. If he wins this fight, there’s no denying that he should be the next contender for Andrade’s title,” said Pacatiw, who now represents Lions Nation MMA, in an interview with Tiebreaker Times.
The upcoming matchup is generating a lot of excitement among fans, as both Loman and Lineker come from impressive striking backgrounds.
Lineker, in particular, has gained notoriety for knocking out opponents with a single hit, boasting 18 career victories by way of knockout.
Nevertheless, Pacatiw feels convinced that Loman has the skill set required to neutralize the UFC veteran’s best attributes.
“The Juggernaut” knows that Loman’s versatility is his greatest asset. Now, he encourages him to use all the weapons at his disposal in the high-stakes encounter with the Brazilian.
(C) ONEFC.com
“Stephen needs to make use of his footwork. His wrestling will also be important, especially if the fight ends up on the ground,” he stated.
“For him to win against a power-hitter like Lineker, Stephen has to mix it up. Since this is MMA, he should try to be as unpredictable as he can.”
Pacatiw is not just hoping for a victory; he genuinely believes it’s in the cards.
In fact, it wouldn’t be a shock to him if “The Sniper” scores a definitive finish within three rounds or opts for a dominant win through the scorecards.
“I believe he’ll win, whether by stoppage or decision. I’m quite confident about it,” Pacatiw declared.
