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Roberto Soldic has detailed his reasoning for signing with ONE Championship.
Soldic ended his KSW run with seven consecutive wins, including six KO/TKOs. The former two-division champion became a free agent, and top-tier MMA promotions began making big offers to secure the elite free agent.
Most of the MMA community expected ‘Robocop’ to sign with the UFC before he flipped the script and signed with ONE Championship.
While speaking with the Asian organization, Soldic had this to say about his thought process while being a free agent:
“Many offers came after the KSW contract. UFC offered me, too. They wanted me, then ONE Championship, then KSW [tried to give] me more money, everything. Then I flew to Singapore and then I saw something different -- good energy and how they respect the guys and they cared about fighters. Then Mr. Chatri flew to Zagreb, he made the press conference. We had a very good talk, offers and everything, and I couldn’t say no because the contract was very good for me, and they said that I can do every combat sport, like kickboxing, Muay Thai, which I also wish to do, but I focus now on MMA.”
Four months after making the announcement, Roberto Soldic is ready to make his promotional debut at ONE on Prime Video 5. The former two-division KSW champion is taking on Murad Ramazanov, an undefeated Russian grappler, in the main card opener.
ONE on Prime Video 5: De Ridder vs. Malykhin broadcasts live on Friday, December 2, and is free for fans in the United States and Canada with an Amazon Prime subscription.
Roberto Soldic feels "very strong" because of ONE Championship’s weight-cutting and hydration protocols
ONE Championship has two primary differences from other top-tier MMA organizations.
ONE offers fighters the opportunity to fight in multiple martial arts disciplines at a world-class level. They also look to support easier weight cuts by implementing hydration tests to ensure no one is cutting too much weight.
During an interview with The MMA Superfan, Roberto Soldic had this to say about the hydration tests:
“It was a good move that I go to ONE Championship because the weight cut is like three-four kilos so it's a good hydration test. I think I will perform better. I am very strong. I feel very good now because I can eat everything that I want.”
Catch the interview below:
ONE’s weight-cutting protocols will likely benefit Roberto Soldic if he fights in multiple weight classes, similar to his KSW run.
Before worrying about fighting at middleweight or another martial arts discipline, though, ‘Robocop’ needs to get through Murad Ramazanov at ONE on Prime Video 5, which can be watched for free by Amazon Prime subscribers in North America and Canada.
