"It’s gonna be an incredible barnburner" - ONE Championship CEO Chatri Sityodtong teases Roberto Soldic's debut

ONE Championship CEO Chatri Sityodtong didn’t reveal all the details, but he did provide a bit of hype for Roberto Soldic’s impending debut inside the circle.

Speaking to the media following ONE 161: Petchmorakot vs. Tawanchai, Sityodtong said that Soldic’s opponent and debut will be announced during the broadcast of ONE on Prime Video 2: Xiong vs. Lee III on Friday, US primetime, on Amazon Prime Video.

Chatri Sityodtong said that even though Soldic’s opponent is yet to be named, fight fans will surely witness how much of a beast the Croatian star is:

“We’re going to announce it actually on Prime Video 2 so on Saturday morning, Singapore time, Friday night primetime in the US, we will announce Roberto Soldic’s debut and his opponent, so stay tuned because it’s gonna be awesome.”

He added:

“Obviously, Roberto is the hottest free agent in the last several years and it’s gonna be an incredible barnburner of a fight, I tell you.”

Soldic, before signing with ONE Championship in August, was the most-prized free agent in mixed martial arts, having dominated KSW and simultaneously holding the promotion’s welterweight and middleweight titles.

A frightening striker, Soldic owns 20 professional wins with 17 of those coming by way of knockout, and he plans to use that devastating power not just in MMA but also in ONE Championship’s stacked Muay Thai and kickboxing rosters.

While the exact details are yet to be announced, there are already some fighters who have taken an interest in Soldic, including ONE lightweight world champion Christian Lee and former ONE middleweight and light heavyweight world champion Aung La N Sang.

---

Chatri Sityodtong expects big things from Roberto Soldic

To say that Chatri Sityodtong is impressed with Soldic is a massive understatement.

Sityodtong, himself a lifelong martial artist, knows just how much potential Soldic has and he’s not afraid to call ‘Robocop’ someone who could become the greatest fighter of all time.

Living up to that promise, though, requires navigating a rough road ahead.

ONE Championship held a press conference in Soldic's native Croatia, and it was there that Chatri Sityodtong made the bold prediction. He said:

“I think he has a big opportunity to become, potentially, the greatest combat sports athlete ever, in history. Of course, we don't know. I'm saying that's the opportunity Roberto has. Will he achieve it? We will see, but he's going to be facing a lot of monsters and killers at ONE. It's not going to be easy."