Sergej Maslobojev Tops Antonio Plazibat Again In 3-Round Thriller

Sergej “Kuvalda” Maslobojev had an unforgettable ONE Championship debut in ONE Super Series.

On Saturday, 12 May, the Lithuanian collided with a familiar foe – Croatia’s Antonio Plazibat – at ONE: GRIT AND GLORY in Jakarta, Indonesia.

While he wasn’t able to repeat the TKO victory he got against his adversary two years ago, he pulled away with an impressive unanimous decision victory this time around.

The action started out fiercely, as both men loaded up on their strikes.

Maslobojev scored with a push kick and a handful of solid punching combinations, and he effectively mixed up his strikes in the first round of their 95kg catch weight kickboxing bout.

“Kuvalda” also put in the better work with his kicks, while Plazibat, who won the K-1 Heavyweight World Grand Prix last year, tried to even things up by peppering the Lithuanian with hooks and straight punches.

The intensity picked up in the second frame, as both competitors put more power behind their strikes. It was not long until one connected with something clean and powerful.

A roundhouse kick to the ribs landed for Maslobojev, before Plazibat countered with a spinning back kick of his own. Then, in a furious exchange, the Lithuanian caught Plazibat with a high left kick that grazed the chin, and sent him reeling against the cage. With his opponent hurt up against the fence, Maslobojev unloaded a fierce punching combination that nearly ended the Croatian’s night.

In the third and final round, both kickboxing titans proceeded to put forth their best offense. The pair traded bombs at the center of the cage, but it was Maslobojev who would once again hurt Plazibat. He continued to stalk and punish his rival as the bout came to a close.

In the end, all three judges scored the bout in favor of Sergej Maslobojev.

It was a tremendous performance for the 30-year-old Muay Thai stylist, who appeared to be a step ahead of his opponent for the majority of the contest. The KOK World Champion operated with powerful attacks throughout, and came close to finishing Plazibat again.

Despite the Croatian’s best efforts, he was simply unable to pinpoint Maslobojev’s timing. Plazibat would have wanted nothing more than to exact revenge against his former conqueror, but he was repeatedly beaten to the punch.

With the victory, Maslobojev improves his overall kickboxing record to 33-6, while Plazibat drops to 16-3.