Caged Steel Bulgaria: Deciphering Oskar Buinickas

MMA Berlin’s Oskar Buinickas is one of the notable up-and-comers to watch in the upcoming Caged Steel Bulgaria event. 

The ‘Lithuanian Samurai’ will enter enemy territory against Burgas native Rusi Hadzhiev. He does have the same 1-0 professional record, yet he already displays a level of maturity you would often see in a seasoned veteran. 

Buinickas is no slouch, either. As you will see in this study, he has likewise come a long way since his amateur debut just six years ago. He has put in the work for a budding professional in his early 30s, and his dedication to his craft is nearly second to none. 

For this short piece, we’ll take a peek into Oskar Buinickas’ career, both as an amateur and a professional. We will delve into his approach to fighting and evolution, beginning with the very first time he stepped inside a mixed martial arts cage.

The Inherent Tenacity

‘In fighting, you either have it or you don’t.’ 

You’ve likely heard this phrase uttered in some form when referring to individuals who subject themselves to combat sports and prizefighting. And looking at his earlier years of competition, you can see Oskar Buinickas has it. 

Here’s how he handled himself in the first minute of his amateur debut against Jordan Endijilo in late 2018. Many first-time competitors would shell up after eating a clean shot to the jaw. 

But not Buinickas. He charged forward, seemingly fired up by the shot.

Here he is again in his second fight against Martin Hannusch less than three months later. After taking a one-two combo to the dome, what does Oskar do? He fires back with a straight right. 

You can’t teach killer instinct. It’s that one trait that makes a fighter special to fans and a feared individual to opponents. And having it in the early stages of one’s career could only mean good things in the future. 

Here’s how he finished Hannush to pick up his very first win. It happened after going through moments of adversity.

Straight punches appear to be Buinickas’ bread and butter. He has so far found ways to land them right on the off switch, even with the presence of head protection. 

Dedication is another trait that separates fighters from hobbyists. They put in the time and sacrifices to improve and eventually reach their goal. Buinickas’ commitment to his craft makes him one of the names to watch out for in Caged Steel Bulgaria.

Hard Work is an Understatement

Caged Steel Bulgaria’s Oskar Buinickas lives and breathes fighting; you can see it in his social media activity. The man flew halfway across the world to add to his arsenal and test his skills on a different playing field.

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A post shared by Oskaras Buinickas (@oscar.mma_70)

And it worked out well for him.

Whether sharpening his grappling skills on the mat or keeping his striking chops crisp, you can’t question Buinickas’ willingness to grow and improve constantly. It’s a level of maturity that keeps him grounded and fast-tracks his evolution. 

Buinickas turned pro in 2022 and faced Iran’s Saeed Ganji, who already had five fights under his belt at the time. And he passed with flying colors thanks to his poise and composure, something you rarely see from a debuting professional. 

Calmness In the Fog of War

With experience comes eventual finesse. The more you put yourself out there, the more wisdom you gain. This game has no shortcuts, and Oskar Buinickas is living proof of it.

His constant willingness to compete prepared him for a bigger stage in his career. He showed no signs of jitters when he stepped inside the cage against a slightly more experienced Ganji. 

This was how Buinickas handled grappling situations early on in his career. Let’s be honest: he looked like a fish out of water here, completely lacking defence fundamentals.

And here he is a mere four bouts later as a debuting professional. You’d be surprised how many fighters would tap out to such a futile guillotine attempt. Buinickas, however, seemed to have recognized the flaw and properly defended the choke to get out eventually. 

Buinickas is no stranger to difficult moments in the heat of battle, and it’s something he’d always handled well. Again, we could trace it back to his innate strength of will. 

It would be interesting to see how Buinickas fares against Hadzhiev, who likewise possesses the same poise and maturity despite the relative lack of cage time. 

His performance in his pro debut against Apostolos Stampoulis was a solid testament to that, but that’s an entirely new topic for another piece. For now, here’s a preview of his handiwork.

Do You Have Your Tickets For Caged Steel Bulgaria Yet?

If you don’t, visit this link and save yourself a seat. Whether you’re enjoying the action from the VVIP section at cage side or a bronze ticket slightly at the back section, you’re in for an exciting night of fights. 

And since this is Caged Steel’s first event outside of the U.K., you will be part of history. 

Mark your calendars for Caged Steel Bulgaria on May 18th at the Hristo Botev Hall in the country’s fight capital city of Sofia. 

We’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments below!

About the author: Miguel Ordoñez is an MMA writer, lifelong fight fan, and martial arts practitioner with an amateur MMA record of 2-0. He is also a Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu coach and a passionate drummer with aspirations of being the next John Bonham and Keith Moon combined.