In combat sports, being away for too long can be a curse. The Philippines’ fighting pride, Stephen Loman, found that out the hard way on Sunday as he absorbed a stinging unanimous decision loss to Georgia’s Lasha Abramishvili at the historic Pula Arena in Croatia.
All three judges scored the Brave CF 108 bout 30‑27 in favor of Abramishvili, who masterfully steered clear of Loman’s attacks and neutralized the Filipino’s wrestling. On offense, the Georgian did just enough on the feet to keep the 31‑year‑old veteran at bay and searching for answers.
Loman Tastes the Canvas, Abramishvili Takes Command
Almost right away, it was evident that the Filipino would be in for a long night. After an early onslaught of crisp kicks and body shots, Loman got dropped by a sharp left hook from Abramishvili, who timed the counter just as the veteran committed to his own attack.
Loman recovered quickly and finished the first round on his feet. But the knockdown proved to be the defining moment of the round and a sign of trouble ahead. The Filipino bounced back to start the second round by turning to his wrestling, giving Abramishvili something else to think about and defend. But the Georgian rising star proved up to the task, countering Loman’s ground game and ending the round strong as the fight returned to the feet.
Perhaps sensing he was down, the Filipino cage fighter tried to go all‑out in the final round and stalked Abramishvili. The younger fighter, though, maintained his composure and had answers to every one of the Filipino’s attacks.
The win improved Abramishvili’s record to 13‑2‑1 and stretched his winning streak to nine. Loman, on the other hand, dropped to 17‑4 and will now go back to the drawing board.
Hiatus May Have Been a Factor
Not to take away from Abramishvili, but Loman may not have been at his best on Sunday after being off for three years from the fight game. The Filipino fighter missed weight and looked sluggish for much of the fight, and his timing was noticeably off. In other words, he wasn’t as sharp as he normally is, and that prolonged absence could certainly explain such sluggishness.
Still, the fact remains that Abramishvili was the better man in this fight. He neutralized every one of Loman’s points of attack and imposed his will just enough that by the third round, he was seemingly mocking the Filipino with repeated Stockton slaps. And even as Loman went for broke, the Georgian continued undeterred on his way to the biggest win of his career.
Now, as Abramishvili prepares to move on to bigger things, Loman will have to lick his wounds, reassess his strategies, and plot his next moves to get back to title contention.
Hopefully, his plans will include a more active fighting calendar moving forward.
