Loma Lookboonmee will be back in action on September 17th. The Thai strawweight announced on Instagram that she would be fighting Diana Belibita at a UFC event.
That is the date of the UFC Fight Night 211 card which does not currently have a location confirmed. Loma will be returning to the octagon after a ten month absence to take on the Romanian strawweight:
View this post on Instagram
Changing camp
This will be Loma’s first fight since moving from Tiger Muay Thai to Bang Tao Muay Thai. She also posted an update in English explaining why she had not fought since November,
“After some time away, I am excited to announce my next fight. I have worked on my mental game and have found my love and enthusiasm for fighting again, so I can’t wait to put on a strong performance for you guys. Thank you to everyone who has continued to support me. I am ready for war, this one is ours.”
It sounds like Loma might have lost her love and enthusiasm for fighting after the loss to Lupita Godinez at UFC Vegas 43. It snapped a two fight winning streak for the Thai fighter who signed for the UFC in 2019.
Loma (6-2) is a Muay Thai veteran and fought in Thailand and Japan before signing with the UFC. Belbita (14-7) is much more experienced in MMA terms but has just one win from her four UFC fights.
Clinch clinic by @LomaLookboonmee 🇹🇭
📺 #UFCFightIsland4 live on E+ pic.twitter.com/cSOnRcbaXf
— UFC (@ufc) October 4, 2020
Previously announced
As previously announced a bantamweight bout pitting Song Yadong against Cory Sandhagen will headline this card. The former is ranked #9 while the latter is ranked #4.
Yadong (19-6-1) has been one of the big success stories among the influx of Chinese fighters to the UFC roster. The 24 year old was signed in 2017 and has been holding his own in the 135lbs division for the past five years.
Yadong is currently riding a three fight winning streak and is coming off a career defining KO of Marlon Moraes at UFC Vegas 50. That win earned the Chinese bantamweight a $50,000 USD bonus.
Long term viewers will have noticed how Yadong’s English has improved during the course of his UFC tenure. He is based permanently in Sacramento and trains at Team Alpha Male.
SONG YADONG SHUT MORAES' LIGHTS OUT 😱 #UFCVegas50 pic.twitter.com/TezbYzvIjB
— ESPN MMA (@espnmma) March 13, 2022
Touching distance
Sandhagen (14-4) holds wins over Frankie Edgar, Marlon Moraes and John Lineker. But the 30 year old is coming off back to back losses and will be looking to get back to winning ways here.
Those defeats did come at the hands of two of the best bantamweights on the planet. He dropped a decision to Petr Yan at UFC 267 in a bout which had the interim bantamweight title on the line and prior to that he had been beaten by split decision by TJ Dillashaw who is reportedly set to fight for the 135lbs strap next.
That makes this the biggest fight in the career of the Chinese bantamweight so far. A win would help him crack the top five and move within touching distance of a title shot.
UFC Fight Night 211, TBA, September 17th
Cory Sandhagen vs. Song Yadong (Bantamweight)
Loma Lookboonmee vs. Diana Belbita (Strawweight)
