“Robocop” handed ONE veteran Dagi Arslanaliev his first career knockout via a show-stopping punch in the opening round of their tie at ONE 171 last Thursday, February 20, inside Doha, Qatar’s Lusail Sports Arena.
Soldic failed to impress in his first two outings in ONE. With a no-contest and knockout loss on his slate, the Croatian star knew he had to turn things around.
To make that happen, he distanced himself from competing in the sport he loved for 20 months in order to come back at his best.
The result at ONE 171 speaks to his dedication, and now “Robocop” hopes to shoot for gold.
“Sometimes it’s good to take some breaks from the fights. I missed [competing] now. Twenty months is enough time. I did my job. I performed. It’s nothing new for me,” Soldic said.
“I said it before: the future is mine. And when I step in the cage, I will be a big problem for anyone. I hope I fight for the title.”
Before signing with ONE Championship, Soldic was the hottest free agent in MMA, and he was keen to prove why once he put pen to paper with ONE.
It now looks like he’s en route to doing just that. At ONE 171, he added an 18th knockout to his overall resume, which includes the only KO ever delivered to reigning UFC Middleweight Champion Dricus Du Plessis.
The former two-weight KSW world champion always believed it would only be a matter of time before ONE fans saw his power unfold. And with an epic knockout win kicking off his 2025 campaign, the rest of the year looks bright for him.
“It feels good. I feel amazing. It is what I do, always. This is my job, you know? And I’m not surprised because I know what I can do. I’ll keep going,” Soldic said.
“Sometimes you have in life ups and downs, but now, everything is alright.”
