For nearly three years, Stephen Loman waited for another chance to do what made him one of the Philippines' most accomplished mixed martial artists.
Now, that wait finally has an end date, sources have confirmed to ESPN.
The 31-year-old Ifugao native will return to competition against Georgian standout Lasha Abramishvili in a three-round bantamweight bout at BRAVE CF 108 on Sep.5, inside the iconic Pula Arena in Croatia.
Months before the announcement became official, "The Sniper" took the first step toward rewriting his career.
Loman secured his release from ONE Championship in December 2025, then reunited with BRAVE CF by signing an exclusive multi-fight contract before the year came to a close.
That deal brought him back to the promotion that transformed him from one of the Philippines' top prospects into an internationally recognized world champion.
He made his last appearance in September 2023, when he dropped a closely contested decision to John Lineker under the ONE banner.
Loman has not competed since, spending the past two years in limbo and publicly calling on ONE to release him, voicing his frustration over his prolonged inactivity.
Now, the former BRAVE CF bantamweight world champion returns in a contest with immediate title implications.
Victory over Abramishvili will instantly strengthen Loman's case to challenge reigning bantamweight king Borislav Nikolić, from Serbia.
Few athletes have accomplished what Loman achieved during his first stint with the Bahrain-based promotion.
Since joining the organization at its inaugural event in September 2016, he amassed a perfect 6-0 promotional record while compiling an overall slate of 17-3 -- including six victories by knockout and two via submission.
His rise reached historic proportions at BRAVE CF 9 in November 2017, where he dismantled Canadian fighter Gurdarshan Mangat via first-round technical knockout to become the first BRAVE CF bantamweight world champion.
Loman kept the coveted strap around his waist for 1,179 days, the longest reign in divisional history, while successfully turning back four challengers.
No defense resonated more with Filipino fans than his emphatic fourth-round knockout of ex-featherweight titleholder Elias Boudegzdame, from France, at the SM Mall of Asia Arena in March 2019, one of the defining performances of his career before an ecstatic home crowd.
He now returns against an opponent determined to write his own chapter.
Abramishvili has emerged as one of the promotion's fastest-rising contenders, bringing a 12-2-1 career record and an unbeaten 4-0 run in BRAVE CF into the contest.
Three victories were achieved inside the distance, while his latest performance produced a hard-earned unanimous decision over Frenchman Brice Picaud at BRAVE CF 106 in June.
The pairing presents a fascinating clash between the division's most decorated former champion and one of its surging new threats.
For Loman, the assignment extends beyond defeating another highly ranked opponent.
After years of absence that kept him from the spotlight, the Lions Nation MMA representative has the chance to resume a story that many believed had been left unfinished.