Team Lakay star Stephen “The Sniper” Loman looked back fondly on what was a tremendous 2022.

After all, he became the hottest Filipino star in ONE Championship after dominating some of the bantamweight division’s toughest athletes.

The MMA dynamo strung together two big wins, outlasting Shoko Sato and then dominating former ONE bantamweight world champion Bibiano Fernandes to push himself deeper into world title talks in 2023.

“I’d look at it as a very good year,” Loman said of 2022.

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“This year brought me some of the biggest victories of my career, and I achieved my goals to take everything step by step, move my way up in the rankings, and beat some of the biggest names in the division. That year was a very good achievement for me.”

IT also gave Loman a glimpse of what to expect in 2023, especially after facing two mainstays of the sport.

“The Sniper” admitted that he needed to grow up quickly after being thrust into the fire, and his maturity was quickly seen as he adjusted against Sato while displaying everything he’s acquired against Fernandes months later.

“I’ve learned a lot this year. Having fought both Shoko Sato and Bibiano Fernandes, I’ve seen that there will be no easy fights here. Both of them are veterans, and I’ve had to step up my game quickly,” he said.

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“This year also taught me to push harder, persevere, knowing that the ones that I’ll be facing here are high-level veterans, so I have to push hard during training.”

With the year now behind him, Loman’s vision is purely on what’s ahead. He hopes to stay active and end the year with the ONE bantamweight world title.

“My goal in 2023 is to stay active, stay in tip top condition, and the most important of it all is capture the championship belt,” he said.

“[I want to] get a chance to compete for that belt and bring that belt home.”