Roberto Soldic might not be where he is today without some guidance from his iconic compatriot Mirko “Cro Cop” Filipovic.
Ever since he was young, Soldic was inspired by the Croatian MMA and kickboxing hero – and he will continue to follow in “Cro Cop’s” footsteps when he returns at ONE Fight Night 10: Johnson vs. Moraes III on Prime Video.
With someone from his home nation to model himself after, “Robocop” has always believed that he could compete at the highest level.
And that’s exactly what he’ll be doing when he battles former divisional king Zebaztian Kadestam in a high-stakes welterweight MMA matchup at 1stBank Center in Colorado, USA, on May 5.
The 26-year-old said of his lifelong idol:
“From 2001, when he started competing in MMA, I know every opponent he faced. Everybody in my village wanted to be like ‘Cro Cop.’ I was a huge fan. I am still a fan.
“I have a couple of favorite fights, but the best one was with Wanderlei Silva. When he threw the left high kick, this is history for me, and I think for everyone who watched this fight.”
As a K-1 World Grand Prix and Pride Open-Weight World Grand Prix Champion, the man known as “Cro Cop” reached the pinnacle of two sports.
The 48-year-old also remained humble despite achieving such immense success, a quality that Soldic greatly admires.
With that type of role model in mind, Soldic ensures to stay grounded and respectful, all while being exceptionally dangerous in competition – another common trait shared between the two Croatian knockout artists.
“Robocop” said:
“He’s a very disciplined guy, and he is not a trash-talker.
“The way he fights, he’s always calm, and when he throws, he does really big damage with anything. But his left kick was brutal. So if he catches you with it, it’s all over.”
Soldic: ‘Means A Lot’ To Have Close Relationship With Cro Cop
As a multiple-division MMA Champion before he signed with ONE Championship, Roberto Soldic has become a renowned combat sports figure in his Croatian homeland.
This success caught the eye of his longtime hero, Mirko “Cro Cop” Filipovic, and he was thrilled to receive an invite to meet and train with the heavyweight superstar for the first time a few years ago.
He recalled:
“I met him in 2019 or 2020. When I won some fights and belts, I went to his gym. And I was really excited to meet him. Before my fights, he called me, and after the fights, he called me. So it means a lot to me.
“Dreams come true! That is what I can say. No words can explain it. ‘Cro Cop’ called me, and this is really unbelievable!”
Filipovic has a wealth of expert advice to pass on, and he isn’t shy of offering it to his nation’s next combat sports flag bearer
Those teachings have already helped “Robocop” make great strides in his martial arts career, although he’ll keep some of them to himself as he aims to climb the ladder in ONE’s hard-hitting welterweight MMA division.
Soldic added:
“The guy’s a legend, and he always tries to give me some tips.
“[The best piece of advice he gave me] is a secret. He has good tips and I took a lot of experience from him. I can see that we’re really similar. We’re both southpaws. We move the same way, but I cannot say a lot of things he told me, only that he gave me good tips.”
