Igorot bantamweight mixed martial artist Stephen ‘The Sniper’ Loman requests release from ONE Championship

Baguio City, Philippines – Mark Stephen “The Sniper” Loman of Lions Nation MMA has officially requested his release from the global sports media company, ONE Championship, signaling a potential major shift in his mixed martial arts career.

The 30-year-old fighter, known for his dynamic fighting style, made the announcement via social media post on September 30, 2025, amid growing speculation about his next move in the global MMA landscape.

“Permission for release, ONE Championship. Thankful and grateful for the years,” he wrote.

With his earnest appeal, Loman has become the latest MMA fighter to express a desire to part ways with ONE Championship.

Meantime, earlier this year, former world title challenger Reece McLaren also publicly requested his release from ONE Championship via an open letter. Simultaneously, ex-two-division champion Reinier de Ridder pointed to the lack of opportunities for MMA athletes as a key reason for his move to the UFC.

‘The Sniper’ mixed martial artist

Loman, formerly Brave CF champion and currently ranked No. 2 in the bantamweight division, is among the Philippines’ most promising homegrown talents. He was last seen in action on September 29, 2023, where he lost a closely contested unanimous decision to ex-champ and UFC veteran John Lineker. He has remained inactive since then.

The Igorot boxer, according to ONE Championship, has a wushu background that he has carefully honed over the years, but he is also known for his incredible submission game— a concept from MMA, Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu or other grappling-based combat sports.

To recall, November 2022 marked Loman’s biggest triumph to date when he outdid 11-time ONE Bantamweight World Champion Bibiano Fernandes over three rounds, earning him a unanimous decision.

Amid growing rumors on social media about the organization's mismanagement of its athletes and a declining emphasis on mixed martial arts, several fighters, aside from Loman have requested their release—some are already out of the organization.