Phuket-based fighter Loma Lookboonmee recently announced the signing of her extension in a social media post. Not long after, news broke online of her next opponent. Loma (5 wins, 2 losses) is scheduled to take on America’s Sam Hughes (also 5-2) on May 1 at UFC Fight Night in Las Vegas, Nevada.
The fight will be Loma’s fourth in the premier promotion, and she will be looking to extend her winning streak to two. Loma’s last battle in the Octagon was a unanimous decision victory over former Invicta Atomweight champion Jinh Yu Frey in October last year. In that fight, Loma displayed a significantly improved arsenal of attacks, including her grappling, while picking off strikes seemingly at-will.
UFC officials were impressed enough with the victory, coupled with improvements in her game, to offer Loma another slate of fights for the promotion.
It’s a decision that the Buriram native and Tiger Muay Thai and MMA Training Camp is ecstatic to accept, given her status as Thailand’s lone UFC fighter and the struggles of fighting, training, and travelling during the worldwide COVID pandemic.
“I’m looking forward to getting back in the cage and continuing my journey as a mixed martial artist,” Loma said in an Instagram post announcing the contract extension.
At 25-years-old, Loma has already been fighting for over 17 years, having stepped into her first professional Muay Thai bout at the age of 8 through her father’s gym, Boonmee Sithemarat, a Lumpinee and Rajadamern stadium veteran. In a career that spanned over 200 Muay Thai fights, and multiple world titles, Loma is looking to become a force in MMA, while also putting her country on the combat sports map.
“I believe we will see more Thais in the UFC,” Said George Hickman, the head MMA coach at Tiger Muay Thai and MMA Training Camp in Chalong.
“I don’t think the rest of the world really understands without coming here, that it’s such a rich culture, and history of fighting. It’s important that, not just Thai people, but the next generation understands what MMA is and realise that it can be very impactful for their lives.”