Roberto Soldic (20-3) will step into the ONE Championship circle for the first time against an undefeated Russian phenom who’ll be looking to stop the Croatian’s promotional momentum before it even gets started.
The man known as “Robocop” collides with Murad Ramazanov (11-0) in a welterweight MMA bout to kick off the main card of “ONE on Prime Video 5: De Ridder vs. Malykhin.” Fans in the U.S, and Canada can watch the event live and for free with an Amazon Prime membership.
Despite being the hottest MMA free agent signing on the planet, Soldic will certainly have his hands full against Ramazanov. With that said, here are three things the ONE Championship newcomer can do to kick off his tenure with a win.
1. Keep the fight standing
Despite scoring a first-round finish against Bae Myung Ho in his ONE Championship debut, Ramazanov entered the organization as a feared submission wizard. In fact, three of his four wins leading up to that match ended via guillotine or rear-naked choke.
Soldic can avoid being tested on the ground by keeping this fight standing and stuffing takedowns as they fly in.
This is not to say that the Croatian can’t hang with the Russian on the ground, but his punching power could make for a frightening 15 minutes should he stay off his back against the man who will welcome him to the ONE circle.
2. Use unorthodox striking
In Ramazanov’s last performance, he defeated former ONE welterweight world champion Zebaztian Kadestam, who holds the record for most knockouts in the promotion’s welterweight division.
The Russian managed to avoid becoming another one of the Swede’s statistics by changing levels often and striking from peculiar positions.
So, it would make sense for “Robocop” to keep his own striking as unorthodox as possible. If Soldic can keep Ramazanov guessing with his unexpected kicks and punches in bunches, then he will surely have the edge.
3. Control the distance
Soldic has been most successful when he controls the distance. Fans saw this when he battled guys like Mamed Khalidov and Dricus Du Plessis, both of whom he finished by knockout.
Against Ramazanov, he’ll have to focus on the same tactics. Soldic has to make sure that he’s in striking range only while attacking. If the Croatian lets his unbeaten rival get close to him, he’ll be in danger of getting either knocked out or dragged to the ground for a submission.
The excitement surrounding Soldic’s ONE Championship debut is riveting. In his new home against the stiffest of competition, it will be interesting to see if “Robocop” can swim with the sharks.
