Overeem’s Win Over Hari Is Bad News For Plazibat

Number one ranked Heavyweight in Glory Kickboxing Antonio Plazibat is frustrated. Yesterday Dalmacija Danas posted an interview with the Croatian Kickboxer.

Plazibat fought his way to title contender status, and waited out almost all of 2022 fighting only once, as he wanted to be ready for the championship fight against Rico Verhoeven.

He won his last three fights in Glory Kickboxing moving him up the rank to the number one position – a position which is most commonly associated with being “the next in line”, a championship title fight contender.

Enter Alistair Overeem!

Overeem is a huge star, having fought since the 90’s all over the world including in K-1 during it’s heydays, Strikeforce, DREAM and the UFC. Last Saturday Overeem returned to Kickboxing as he beat Badr Hari at Glory Collision 4, and then proceeded to call out the reigning champion Rico Verhoeven. It looks like Overeem is getting what he asked for, and sidelining Plazibat even longer in the process.

What can I say after all this? Yes, I should fight for the title, but I am not going to. Overeem is a bigger name than me. Verhoeven wants to fight him too because he has no chance of losing. That fight should be a walk in the park for him. Of course, always anything can happen, but if he takes it seriously, he will get through it successfully. Easy money and that’s it.

Plazibat is one persistent, patient and focused fighter: he continues to train, believe and aim for the championship bout, and expects that he probably only has to fight once more, until he faces the champion:

I’ll probably do one more fight before those two guys fight. Probably even at the same event as them. Maybe two fights. Like I said, what’s there is what I’ve been doing and what I’ve been saying all along. You have to win, go through people, knock them out and what you need will come.

Jamal Ben Saddik and Plazibat was offered to fight on the Collision 4 event, but both fighters declined: neither of them would get closer to a championship fight, as the winner of the Overeem vs. Hari fight was by default the title contender.

Plazibat says he is keeping busy with one, possibly two fights before entering the ring against the champion, but admits it was his hope to face Verhoeven in late 2022.

As far as I know, the fight has already been agreed, Overeem has already signed the contract for that fight. It will be at the beginning of next year, and I’m waiting and we’ll see what happens.

It will be interesting to see how it all pans out. In the meantime you can enjoy the funny side of Plazibat by watching the video of him taking over the Collision 4 media day by clicking here.