On Friday, May 5, Croatian megastar Roberto “Robocop” Soldic will make his highly anticipated return to the Circle for his sophomore appearance in ONE Championship when he takes on former welterweight king Zebaztian “The Bandit” Kadestam. 

Set to go down at 1stBank Center in Colorado at ONE Fight Night 10: Johnson vs. Moraes III – the organization’s historic debut on American soil – that pivotal welterweight MMA showdown comes five months after Soldic’s promotional debut ended in disappointing fashion.

Russian supporters bashed Roberto Soldic for the Murad Ramazanov bout cancellation

Widely considered MMA’s top free agent before he signed with ONE last year, the 28-year-old came to the organization with loads of championship experience and the reputation of one of the planet’s most feared knockout artists. 

 But when he took on Russian grappling specialist Murad Ramazanov last December at ONE on Prime Video 5, “Robocop” didn’t get to show off his prodigious skills. Instead, the bout ended in a no contest after Ramazanov landed an unintentional, fight-ending low blow early in the first frame. Now, rather than an immediate rematch, Soldic will battle Kadestam in a fight that could land him in a World Title fight.

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 Naturally, both Ramazanov and his Russian supporters have been quick to criticize the Croatian, claiming he’s dodging his former foe. Soldic disagrees and says the Dagestani doesn’t present any problems he hasn’t seen before, “People always talk, commenting, ‘Are you scared of him or his wrestling? Blah, blah, blah.’ I trained for ten years with this guy’s wrestling, and I know what he can do. So, it’s nothing new for me.”

Roberto Soldic assured ONE fans that a rematch with Murad Ramazanov will happen

“Robocop” also assures ONE’s global fanbase that a rematch with Ramazanov will undoubtedly happen at some point. Whether that grudge match happens with a ONE World Title on the line or not, Soldic looks forward to eventually settling the score with Ramazanov. And with his impressive 85 percent knockout rate, the Croat fan-favorite will be gunning for a finish if and when that fight takes place. 

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He added, “But this fight is going to happen for sure. And then we can talk in the cage. So yeah, let him talk, and I will try to train, stay fresh, keep going forward, and kill the guys.”