Roberto Soldic’s ONE Championship debut ended in a no contest after a brutal groin strike, which worsened an already existing hernia and forced him to undergo surgery.
Roberto Soldic was one of the biggest free agent signings in recent ONE Championship history, but his debut suffered an unfortunate ending after he absorbed a brutal groin strike early in the opening round in his fight against Murad Ramazanov that prevented him from continuing. Previously dominating in two divisions at KSW, Soldic eagerly awaited the chance to prove himself in ONE, but the low blow prevented him from making a great first impression. Although the situation was beyond his control, Soldic desperately wanted to continue but could barely move or breathe after the knee blasted him in the groin. The fight was declared a no contest.
The severity of the blow was unprecedented, as Soldic explained, “I used the same cup for 10 years — it never happened to me, even in training. When a guy catches me in sparring, I’m down for one minute, two minutes but this time it was horrible.” Even days after the bout, Soldic still felt reverberations from the low blow. To make matters worse, the knee strike worsened an already existing hernia Soldic was dealing with prior to the fight, growing in size and forcing him to undergo surgery.
Withholding details about the surgery due to his preference for privacy, Soldic focused on recovery and training. Now ready to return to the ring, he’s set to face ex-welterweight champion Zebaztian Kadestam in his sophomore fight during ONE Championship’s first-ever event in the United States. Eager to get back in the cage, Soldic remained flexible in facing any opponent, as his ultimate goal was to earn a title shot. The rematch with Ramazanov will eventually come, but for now, Soldic is excited to showcase his skills in America and is highly motivated to train hard and give his best performance yet.