Roberto Soldic woke up early as a kid just to watch his hero Mirko Cro Cop

Before Roberto Soldic shot to superstardom in Croatia, he was a regular kid who used to wake up early and watch Mirko Cro Cop on TV.

Croatian heavyweight kickboxer and MMA sensation Mirko Filipovic, more popularly known as Mirko Cro Cop, has had one of the most legendary sports careers the world has ever seen.

A legend in multiple martial arts organizations throughout his career, Mirko Cro Cop inspired a whole new generation of fighters with his courage, resilience, and vicious knockout power.

ONE newcomer Roberto Soldic was one of those kids who felt inspired to follow in his footsteps. Speaking to ONE Championship, the 27-year-old star recalled how obsessed he was with watching his hero fight on T.V.:

“We used to watch Cro Cop in Japan. So we wake up always in the morning, like, three, four o'clock in the night.”

Roberto Soldic also wants to make his imprint in combat sports today. After signing with ONE Championship, Soldic said his dream was to represent his home country of Croatia and collect as many championship belts as he could in various divisions and sports.

With two KSW metal belts under his sleeve, Soldic is ambitious for his third. He’s currently on the fast track to a world title if he defeats top-ranked welterweight Murad Ramazanov.

Both fighters are scheduled to fight on the main card at ONE on Prime Video 5 on Friday, December 2. North American fans will see how this fight plays out live and for free with an Amazon Prime Video subscription.

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Roberto Soldic has no other game plan but to win

With ONE on Prime Video 5 on the horizon, Roberto Soldic has no other game plan but to win.

Facing his toughest challenge yet in wrestling specialist Murad Ramazanov, Soldic is confident in his ability to keep the Dagestani fighter on his toes.

With an impressive knockout ratio of 17 KOs in 20 fights, the Croatian superstar warned fans that his striking is not the only weapon in his arsenal.

Having trained in high-level wrestling and jiu-jitsu for the past decade, Soldic warns his opponent that he can find the win from any angle.

He told ONE:

“[The plan is] just win. I don’t care how. Submission, points, KO, it doesn’t matter for me. I just want to win the fight. Be smart, be sharp, be fast."

He added:

“People expect always KOs from me because most of my fights were finished by KO, so I guess I could surprise with a submission – I also have good jiu-jitsu.”