For three years, Stephen Loman waited for the sound of a cage door closing behind him again.
There were no walkouts, no four-ounce gloves and no roaring crowds. For a mixed martial artist who had spent years building momentum, the prolonged silence became one of the most difficult stretches of his career.
"It was the most uncertain phase of my career," Loman told ESPN. "There were times when I did not know when I would fight again. I hope I never have to go through something like that again."
That uncertainty ends in the co-headliner of BRAVE CF 108 on Sept. 5, when the former BRAVE CF bantamweight world champion faces Lasha Abramishvili in a three-round encounter at Pula Arena in Croatia.
When Loman's comeback was announced by ESPN, pandemonium followed. One of the Philippines' most gifted fighters was finally being given the chance to reclaim a trajectory that once appeared destined for greater heights.
Instead, he has been thrown straight into the deep end.
Abramishvili is not being brought in to help Loman ease back into competition. The Georgian has won eight consecutive bouts, six by stoppage, including three inside the BRAVE CF cage, to bolster his record to an impressive 12-2-1.
Loman last appeared in September 2023, when he dropped a closely contested unanimous decision to John Lineker under the ONE Championship banner.
What followed was an inexplicable period of inactivity.
Loman was not injured and had been enjoying a strong run before the setback against Lineker. Yet the months disappeared while other bantamweights moved forward.
Abramishvili, meanwhile, continued sharpening his résumé on the other side of the globe.
Months became years before Loman's ONE contract expired in late 2025, allowing him to reunite with BRAVE Combat Federation, the promotion that helped to establish his name on the international stage.
Even then, the 31-year-old Ifugao native had to wait.
Loman expected to compete soon after inking a deal with the Bahrain-based organization, but the escalating tensions involving the U.S., Israel and Iran forced BRAVE CF to reassess its operations, particularly with much of its event calendar concentrated in the Middle East and Europe.
"Waiting is difficult," Loman said. "You are training and ready, but you still do not know when you will get your chance. That was really hard for me."
Then BRAVE CF finally came calling. The bout offer had a date, a venue, and an opponent waiting for him. However, it was not merely a welcome-home engagement for a former champion.
Loman could have asked for a more forgiving assignment, but he chose to accept what was offered.
"It was now or never for me," he said.
"I had already waited long enough, and I knew I could not keep waiting. Time is no longer on my side."
That decision perhaps captures the urgency of his next chapter better than anything else.
Moreover, there are legitimate concerns about what awaits him. Three years away from competition could affect his timing, sharpness and instincts against a foe who has remained active.
While ring rust remains a perennial debate in combat sports, Loman refuses to dwell on what he may have lost.
"I know being inactive is not good for a fighter," he said. "But I do not want to keep looking back at what happened during those three years. I have this chance now, and I want to enjoy it and make the most of it."
Loman's environment outside the cage has changed as well.
He will represent Lions Nation MMA for the very first time, joining the stable founded by former Team Lakay members and longtime teammates Eduard Folayang, Kevin Belingon, Honorio Banario and Joshua Pacio after their highly publicized departure from Mark Sangiao's tutelage in 2023.
At BRAVE CF 108, Sangiao will not be in Loman's corner. Still, "The Sniper" sees familiarity rather than upheaval in his new surroundings.
"It is a new team, but my training partners are still the same," he said.
"We also have new concepts that can help me improve. I am confident with the people around me."
The circumstances could hardly be more demanding. Loman is returning from a three-year absence, facing a contender at the height of his momentum, and entering the cage under a different training structure.
Yet his hunger to compete at the highest level remains.
"This is a must-win fight for me," Loman said. "I need this victory to change the direction of my career. I want to revive it, and I know I have to start with this fight."
For years, Loman waited for his opportunity to return. Now, there is nowhere left to wait. After three years in limbo, everything comes down to what happens inside the Pula Arena on Sept. 5.