Stephen “The Sniper” Loman can’t wait to see how the World Championship action plays out at ONE Fight Night 14: Stamp vs. Ham on Prime Video.
Loman has his own high-profile assignment this Friday, September 29 – facing John Lineker in a clash of top-ranked bantamweight MMA contenders – but when his job is done, he’ll watch the rest of the card with great interest.
The lineup is headlined by three Women’s World Title contests in three different sports, and “The Sniper” expects them to deliver thrills in front of the Singapore crowd and those watching across the globe in North American primetime.
Here, the Filipino star breaks down two of those battles and offers up his predictions ahead of a huge night in “The Lion City.”
Stamp Fairtex Vs. Ham Seo Hee
In the main event, Stamp Fairtex and Ham Seo Hee will clash for the ONE Interim Women’s Atomweight MMA World Title.
Top-ranked contender Stamp and #2-ranked “Hamzzang” were the obvious choices to square off for the interim belt while longtime divisional queen “Unstoppable” Angela Lee decides on her future.
Both women are renowned for their intense styles, and Loman is anticipating a hard-fought contest:
“I see that Ham isn’t just an ordinary challenger for Stamp. We already watched how she beat my fellow Filipino, Denice [Zamboanga]. Ham is a bit smaller than Stamp, but we saw just how strong she is despite being shorter, and she can trade with anyone.
“I think her fight against Stamp will be a back-and-forth affair, either on the feet or on the ground.”
Stamp and Ham are known primarily as strikers – especially the Fairtex superstar, who previously held ONE World Title belts in both kickboxing and Muay Thai.
However, this is an MMA matchup, and Loman sees advantages for both sides, making the outcome very difficult to call.
He explained:
“The striking edge belongs to Stamp because she came from Muay Thai. That’s her department. I think she’ll use that against Ham.
“I’ve also seen that Stamp is very adaptable in any scenario. She quickly learned her ground game, and her training camp provides an environment where they can quickly improve their skills in MMA.
“Ham’s experience will be her advantage. She’s spent so much time in MMA, and that will be an advantage because she can use all of her prior experience when she takes on Stamp.”
In the end, Ham’s additional time in the all-around sport is swaying Loman’s prediction.
The Filipino is not writing off Stamp and knows one shot can change the fight, but he gives a slight edge to the South Korean, who’s competed in 22 more professional MMA bouts than her opponent.
“The Sniper” said:
“I think someone will get knocked out here if they focus on their striking. If this fight hits the ground, I know that someone will be submitted.
“[If I have to pick], I would pick the veteran. I’m going with Ham.”
Danielle Kelly Vs. Jessa Khan
Another battle that intrigues Loman is the inaugural ONE Women’s Atomweight Submission Grappling World Title bout between Danielle Kelly and Jessa Khan.
The BJJ black belts have been operating against elite adversaries – including each other – for the past few years, and this is their chance to make a statement on the biggest martial arts platform of all.
Excited to see two athletes at the top of their sport, Loman said:
“Both of these fighters are already veterans in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. They are great fighters.
“This will be a chess match. I expect both of them to cancel out each other’s submission attempts, and of course, they will have a plan for each other. Whoever makes the first mistake will be in trouble, so they should be careful.”
The two know each other well, with Khan holding a win over Kelly via decision back in February 2021, but a lot has changed since then.
Kelly has gone unbeaten in three matches in ONE, while Khan became a prestigious IBJJF World Champion earlier this year.
That means their previous match might not give much away, and Loman thinks there’s a good chance that Kelly can get revenge now that she’s built her confidence in the organization.
He added:
“I think Danielle’s prior experience in ONE Championship could become an advantage for her. She’s already used to it, so she’s confident fighting in front of bigger crowds. When there are so many people watching, it seems her confidence goes up a bit. She gets her energy from the crowd.
“I think Jessa could have a mental edge over Danielle because she already knows how she operates, but if Danielle did her homework and prepared enough, I think she can turn things around.
“I think this one goes to Danielle. She’ll get that win in their rematch.”
-ONE PR
