Roberto Soldić, one of the most famous Croatian MMA fighters, is frustrated by the lack of fights under the ONE Championship umbrella. His last match took place in May 2023, which is too long a break for a fighter of his caliber. In the early phase of his career, when he dominated in KSW, Soldić fought much more frequently, which allowed him to constantly be in top shape and at the peak of his “craft”.
The ongoing criminality continues, so Soldić is justified in putting pressure on his current organization. This time he did it via his Instagram profile with the short caption “ONE, when?”
His manager Ivan Dijaković clearly expressed his dissatisfaction with the current situation, stressing that Soldić is in top form and ready to face new challenges. Dijaković added that it is frustrating to see a talent like Soldić stagnate due to a lack of opportunities.
This situation comes at a time when ONE Championship, the organization led by Chatri Sityodtong, is facing financial challenges. Chatri, known for his business acumen and love of combat sports, is under pressure to maintain a balance between putting on quality fights and managing the organization’s finances. Despite this, Chatri often stands out as a person who believes in fighters and their abilities and wants to, quote, “provide the best fighting environment in the world,” which makes this situation even more confusing for Soldic and his fans. Many fans, especially from Asia, often question Chatri’s credibility. We have already written about how the Asian counterpart of Dana White organized an “AMA” session on his Instagram profile, where he avoided and even deleted comments related to Soldić.
The financial challenges facing ONE Championship may explain why some fighters like Soldic aren’t getting the opportunities they deserve. However, for a fighter of Soldic’s quality, too much inactivity can seriously affect his career and motivation. Soldic’s situation raises important questions about how combat sports organizations treat their talent and what can be done to ensure fighters like him are given the chance to advance and reach their potential.
It should be remembered that Soldić is 29 years old and just entering his prime. We hope that ONE finally understands what kind of fighter they have in their roster and until then it is up to Robert to be patient and keep the “fire” in him.
