5 ONE Championship fighters who could test Roberto Soldic

Roberto Soldic’s arrival in ONE Championship was a move felt not just within the promotion, but in the broader mixed martial arts landscape itself.

The former KSW welterweight and middleweight world champion was the most sought-after free agent on the planet and his decision to join the Singapore-based promotion was seen as a massive turning point in the industry.

Although Soldic has fought purely in MMA with KSW, he’s also a professional boxer with a perfect 4-0 record on the back of four knockouts. It was also ONE Championship’s emphasis on other combat sports that drew the two-division world champion to the organization.

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Roberto Soldic admitted that his plan is not just to become a world champion in MMA, he also wants to collect as many belts as possible and fight the best martial artists in the world.

That said, here are the five martial artists who could be the toughest tests for Soldic.

#5. Eddie Alvarez

Eddie Alvarez is a certified legend in the sport having won both world titles in both of North America's major promotions. Despite being 38 years old, the American fighter is still one of the most dangerous fighters in the world.

Since ONE Championship’s lightweight division is capped at 170 pounds, Roberto Soldic won’t have any problems matching up with Alvarez since KSW’s welterweight division is listed at an identical weight.

To call Soldic an up-and-coming fighter is utterly ridiculous, but he’s still young at 27 years old. A match against Alvarez brings forth the classic age vs. youth trope that’s often seen in combat sports.

The most intriguing aspect of this matchup, however, is the combined gold that Soldic and Alvarez have amassed in their respective careers. Alvarez is also one of the most technically-adept fighters in the sport and he could possibly force Soldic to fight at a calculated and methodical pace.

#4. Dagi Arslanaliev

If it’s a full-on war that Soldic wants in his debut with ONE Championship, then a match with Turkish star Dagi Arslanaliev could see just that.

Arslanaliev is one of the most feared fighters in the lightweight division, with an incredible 100 percent finishing rate in his eight victories. The No.2 contender isn’t just a heavy puncher either, since his finishes are spread across six knockouts and two submissions.

Soldic, meanwhile, has 18 finishes to his career, with 17 coming by way of knockout.

A fight between Soldic and Arslanaliev is sure to conjure up the most electrifying ending in any mixed martial arts fight.

Oh, and judges will not be needed for this one.

#3. Saygid Izagakhmaev

Just like the case for Arslanaliev, a match between Roberto Soldic and Russian grappler Saygid Izagakhmaev won’t be going the distance.

While Soldic can send anyone to the shadow realm with his fists, Izagakhmaev does so by using his submission prowess.

Izagakhmaev is a grappling savant, with 13 of his 20 career wins coming via submission. Although he learned his craft under the guidance of MMA great Khabib Nurmagomedov, Izagakhmaev is his own man and he’s more than willing to bend anyone to his will.

The Russian star had a dominant debut in ONE Championship this past January when he submitted former world title contender James Nakashima with a D’Arce choke in the second round.

#2. Regian Eersel

Roberto Soldic wants to become a multi-sport champion, but that is easier said than done. Standing in the Croatian star’s warpath in the kickboxing realm is Regian Eersel, a man already considered one of the best strikers of his generation.

Regian Eersel isn’t known as ‘The Immortal’ just for any mundane reason. The ONE lightweight kickboxing world champion has 57 career wins and is a perfect 7-0 in ONE Championship.

At nearly 6-foot-3, Eersel towers over the 5-foot-10 Soldic and it’s this massive length that has made the Dutch-Surinamese star such an intimidating fighter.

Eersel is one of the most technical fighters in the sport and he usually grinds his opponents out with pinpoint striking, rather than overwhelming them with a deluge of strikes.

His latest world title defense saw him dictate the pace against German knockout machine Arian Sadikovic at ONE 156 this past April.

#1. Reinier de Ridder

A fight between Reinier de Ridder and Roberto Soldic is one of those matches that immediately defines an era.

De Ridder, the ONE middleweight and light heavyweight world champion, has been one of the most dominant fighters in ONE Championship since he arrived in the promotion in January 2019.

‘The Dutch Knight’ has practically steamrolled the competition during his incredible run, going a perfect 7-0 in the promotion, with four of those wins ending in submissions.

Legends Aung La N Sang, Kiamrian Abbasov, and Vitaly Bigdash have all fallen victim to de Ridder’s grappling. Since his domination over the promotion began, many have questioned if the Dutch superstar has run out of opponents.

Enter Roberto Soldic.

Arguably one of the best fighters of his generation, Roberto Soldic might just be the toughest challenger in de Ridder’s absolute reign atop the ONE Championship mountain.

Soldic, a former two-division world champion himself, will also be entering the biggest fight of his career if he does take on de Ridder. Whatever happens in the future, expect a potential fight between the these stars to be one of the best in MMA history.

About the author

Vince has been writing Philippine sports since 2013 having covered practically every major organization and league in the country. He also covers international outfits that hold shows in the Philippines.

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Edited by Harvey Leonard