Croatian knockout artist Roberto Soldic arrived in ONE Championship as the most well liked free agent in combined martial arts. Followers worldwide anticipated a bombardment of harmful knockouts to shortly develop. However he didn’t have a fairytale begin.
“Robocop” constructed a terrifying rep throughout his European MMA stint. He’d scored 17 knockouts in 20 wins, turning into a two-weight KSW Champion.
He even had two emphatic battles with UFC Middleweight Champion Dricus Du Plessis underneath the KSW banner. Of their second conflict, he knocked out Du Plessis within the third spherical to win the promotion’s welterweight crown. Since then, he’s been the final man to defeat the UFC kingpin.
He went on to attain 5 extra knockouts in Europe’s largest MMA promotion earlier than bringing his skills into ONE Championship.
His debut got here in December 2022 at ONE on Prime Video 5 when he was set to lock up with Murad Ramazanov. The world watched on, anticipating one other riveting efficiency. However that wasn’t to be.
Soldic rushed in, and within the scramble, he ate a groin strike that introduced his debut to an unceremonious finish.
In his return at ONE Struggle Night time 10 in Denver, Colorado, he confronted former ONE Welterweight MMA World Champion Zebaztian Kadestam. The duo brawled from the primary bell as the competition lived as much as the hype.
Nevertheless it was Kadestam who discovered success extra incessantly than Soldic. And within the second body, Soldic succumbed to the Swede’s barrage of punches to shock the world with the knockout loss.
Upon reflection, the Croatian crusher admits he was far too intent on discovering the chins of each Ramazanov and Kadestam, which led to his downfall.
“The primary battle and the battle after that, I used to be in a bit of little bit of a rush. I attempted to complete. That point, I used to be a bit of bit too comfy,” he mentioned.
“However I don’t need to discuss it a lot, it’s behind me. I simply need to preserve ahead now and attempt to study at all times, you recognize.”
It was removed from the perfect begin that Soldic desired. However that was all about to vary at ONE 171: Qatar this previous February. He was paired up with fellow finisher Dagi Arslanaliev, the place one punch in a single spherical modified his complete fortune.
Soldic uncorked an incredible proper hand that put his Turkish foe to sleep earlier than he even hit the bottom. He was ecstatic to lastly enter ONE’s winner’s column.
“I knew he was going to begin very aggressively. I knew he was going to strain me rather a lot and all that,” he mentioned.
“However I simply waited for my second, I didn’t need to rush like earlier than. It’s at all times about studying, you recognize.”
