ONE CEO says Roberto Soldic can become the greatest ever, but it’s ‘not going to be easy’

KSW two-division champion Roberto Soldic made headlines when he announced that he had signed with global combat sports powerhouse ONE Championship during his appearance on The MMA Hour with Ariel Helwani.

Soldic said in no uncertain terms that he intends to “take all the belts” in ONE Championship. Planning to compete in multiple sports, including kickboxing, MMA, and Muay Thai, the Croatian destroyer certainly has high ambitions and, by all accounts, the talent to accomplish the task. That said, he’ll also be facing a big step up in competition under the ONE banner.

Following Soldic’s appearance on The MMA Hour, ONE Championship CEO Chatri Sityodtong discussed Roberto Soldic’s potential to be the greatest combat sports athlete of all time. However, he warned that the road will be tough against ONE Championship’s gauntlet of veritable killers:

"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."

Soldic could be thrown to the wolves right out of the gate as the fighter confirmed four-time world champion Eddie Alvarez is the name they are looking at for his first outing inside the circle.

Watch Soldic on The MMA Hour below:

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How did ONE Championship win the Roberto Soldic lottery?

Roberto Soldic was the hottest free agent in mixed martial arts to hit the market since ‘Iron’ Michael Chandler. Multiple promotions made the Croatian an offer to bring him into the fold. Most notably, KSW, Soldic’s home prior to signing with ONE, and of course, the UFC. So how did ONE Championship entice Soldic to sign with the global organization? Well, the answer is simple.

Roberto Soldic is a fighter through and through, not just a mixed martial artist. Staying with KSW or signing with the UFC would have given Soldic a platform to continue his dominance in MMA. With ONE Championship, Soldic has a platform that will allow him to compete in multiple sports under one banner, which is something no other major combat sports entity offers.

With Muay Thai, kickboxing, submission grappling, and mixed martial arts celebrated under the ONE banner, Soldic can choose his own career path and, should he so desire, “take all the belts.” ONE Championship gives fighters a broader spectrum of avenues to showcase their talent and make a living in the fight game. With a desire to test his skills on multiple platforms, there is no better place to do that than ONE Championship.

Watch the best finishes in ONE history below: