Croatian knockout artist Roberto Soldic is set to make his long-awaited ONE Championship debut against unbeaten Murad Ramazanov. 'Robocop' is confident he has the grappling skills to keep the bout on the feet.
The former KSW two-division champion has secured knockouts in 18 of his 20 pro victories – a staggering statistic. Soldic is hoping his knockout power will carry over to the circle once he makes his debut at ONE on Prime Video 5.
He's also certain that people are underestimating his grappling skills, including Ramazanov. Soldic told The MMA Superfan:
"People underestimate my wrestling because I don't show it in fights because I don't use it a lot. I finish my opponents with my boxing, and with the ground and pound, and everything."
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Roberto Soldic continued:
"All my life, I've been in Germany for eight years, almost nine years here, and I always train with Chechen and Dagestan wrestling guys, so it's nothing difficult for me. I see this pressure and everything."
Russia's Ramazanov is a perfect 3-0 since signing with ONE. Before that, he picked up eight victories in the country's regional scene. Undoubtedly a great grappler, Ramazanov is considered one of the best wrestlers from Dagestan.
Roberto Soldic chose ONE Championship over UFC
Coming from KSW, 'Robocop' was an incredibly coveted free agent within the world of MMA, and ONE Championship won the sweepstakes over the UFC and other promotions. Soldic told Ariel Helwani on The MMA Hour:
"I had so many [offers], including UFC, ONE Championship, and I choose ONE Championship for sure because it’s the biggest martial arts [organization] in the world. They give me opportunity to take all the belts – kickboxing world champion, Muay Thai world champion, MMA world champion... I want to create something for my people, my own legacy, so I chose ONE Championship for sure.”
Soldic has clearly set high goals for himself as he wants to win world titles in multiple sports. He must first pass his debut test against a very formidable foe.
Make sure to watch Roberto Soldic make his promotional debut against Murad Ramazanov at ONE on Prime Video 5 on December 2, live from the Mall of Asia Arena in Manila, Philippines.
Check out Roberto Soldic's full interview on The MMA Hour below: