‘He’s A Legend ‘ – Roberto Soldic Reveals Admiration For Grappling Star Mikey Musumeci

As a feared knockout artist, you might think Roberto Soldic’s eyes are mostly drawn to ONE Championship’s striking ranks, but the Croatian MMA superstar is a huge fan of submission grappling. 

In particular, Robocop has a soft spot for reigning ONE Flyweight Submission Grappling World Champion Mikey Musumeci, who will next face MMA icon Shinya Aoki in an openweight contest at ONE Fight Night 15 on Prime Video.

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Soldic can’t wait to watch Musumeci square off with Aoki on October 6 in U.S. primetime.

Plus, he also admires ONE Lightweight Submission Grappling World Champion Kade Ruotolo and his twin brother, future ONE Welterweight Submission Grappling World Title challenger Tye Ruotolo. 

The UFD Gym representative said:

Mikey Musumeci [is one of my favorite athletes in ONE]. I like to watch him. He’s very fun. The Ruotolo brothers, too. I can’t forget them. They’re awesome also.

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Soldic has a passion for mastery, and that’s what draws him to an elite competitor like Musumeci, as well as the other leading submission hunters in the world’s largest martial arts organization.

While a toe-to-toe slugfest can get the crowd on the edge of their seats like nothing else, the 28-year-old MMA sensation appreciates the technicality of the grapplers – and he thinks the sport works well alongside ONE’s other high-octane offerings. 

Soldic said:

I like to watch [Musumeci] and I like seeing the grappling on the cards. Everything in combat sports is good and exciting when you take two of the top guys in the world. They always give you a crazy fight. 

It doesn’t matter which combat sport – Muay Thai, kickboxing, grappling, MMA – I’m excited for anyone who fights at the top against the best guys. 

And you only have this in ONE Championship. That’s why it’s more exciting than anyone else.

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Roberto Soldic Expects Mikey Musumeci To Submit Shinya Aoki

Mikey Musumeci has a huge test ahead of him when he takes on former ONE Lightweight MMA World Champion Shinya Aoki on October 6.

Aoki is the joint-top submission finisher in ONE history, with BJJ and judo black belts to his credit. He also competes in a division that is 35 pounds heavier than Musumeci’s usual weight class, but Roberto Soldic doesn’t think that size difference will be a problem. 

Along with witnessing Musumeci’s competitive dominance – first in BJJ and now in submission grappling – Robocop has felt the American’s strength firsthand, and he was impressed. 

Soldic revealed:

I see Mikey winning because he’s also strong. I did some clinching with him in Doha [Qatar]. We joked around a little bit, and I saw that, for his weight, he’s really strong in the clinch and full of technique.

It’s nice to watch this. You can enjoy what is real. I like grappling, and it’s really hard. It’s really crazy the things that Mikey does and how he’s so calm. He’s a legend in this sport. I don’t see Mikey losing this fight.

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Musumeci has pursued excellence in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu since he was a kid, and his single-track mind has allowed him to become a pioneer and innovator in the sport. 

To that end, Darth Rigatoni can finish an opponent from anywhere with devastating joint locks and chokes, as well as his slick sweeps and passes. 

And because the flyweight submission grappling king’s skill set is concentrated in one area, Soldic thinks he will defeat Aoki before the final bell rings in their intriguing openweight clash at Lumpinee Boxing Stadium. 

Robocop added:

I think Mikey is gonna finish him. This is my prediction because he was born for this sport. He’s very, very dangerous. Triangle, leg locks, rear-naked choke, everything. In every position, he’s a finisher.

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