Stephen Loman, Team Lakay's longest-reigning champ, can take MMA to new heights—Brave CF president

Mixed martial arts in the Philippines has been on an upward trend in recent years.

With the transfer of Filipino-American ex-UFC fighter Brandon Vera to Asia and Team Lakay’s emergence on the global stage, Filipinos proved that they can be competitive in MMA too.

But if there is one name that can take the ever-growing sport to new heights, it will be the 25-year-old Stephen Loman, according to Brave Combat Federation president Mohammed Shahid.

"I really believe that he (Loman) will take the sport of MMA to another level in the Philippines," Shahid said.

"He keeps on proving that he is a deserving champion. He is the biggest combat athlete in the Philippine along with Manny Pacquiao," he added.

The Baguio City native, who holds an MMA record of 14-2, has so far headlined three events for Brave CF.

He won the Brave CF bantamweight title over Gurdarshan Mangat via first-round technical knockout in 2017 and is Team Lakay's longest-reigning champ on the international stage.

"People say we gave him the opportunity, but it's actually the opposite. He gave us the honor of fighting in our organization," Shahid said.

"I was sad that not a lot of Filipinos knew him, but now I'm the happiest man because the country found a new hero, a fighter who proudly represents the country," he added.

The Bahrain-based promotion had so far put up nearly 50 events and visited 20 different countries such as Sweden, Brazil, United Kingdom, Mexico, and the Philippines since its inception in 2016.

Brave CF is headed next to Sochi, Russia on January 16, 2021, and may bring along other Filipino talents in Jeremy Pacatiw, Harold Banario, Jomar Pa-ac, and Rolando Dy. —MGP, GMA News