Despite facing recent setbacks, Roberto Soldic remains one of the most polarizing figures in the sport of mixed martial arts, drawing excitement whenever he steps into the cage.
A testament to his enduring fanfare came when ONE Championship uploaded the teaser of his return to action at ONE 171 on February 20, flooding Instagram’s comment section with eager anticipation:
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For his comeback, 'Robocop' is penciled for a high-stakes welterweight MMA showdown against Turkey’s Dagi Arslanaliev at the stunning Lusail Sports Arena in Qatar.
The Croatian knockout artist entered the world’s largest martial arts organization with sky-high expectations, but after a frustrating no-contest and a tough loss in his first two outings, he’s eager to prove he’s every bit the force fans expected him to be.
A well-rounded mixed martial artist, Soldic’s bread and butter remains his devastating striking — where he thrives on unleashing heavy hands and hunting for the finish.
That aggressive, all-action approach sets the stage for a thrilling clash with Arslanaliev, whose fight IQ and finishing ability make him a dangerous adversary.
Roberto Soldic takes on an opponent driven by revenge
However, Roberto Soldic is in for a serious test.
Dagi Arslanaliev has long been a staple of ONE’s lightweight MMA elite, using his powerful takedowns and relentless ground-and-pound to notch eight highlight-reel finishes.
If Arslanaliev can get past Soldic in Qatar, he could position himself for a shot at welterweight gold against two-division ONE world champion Christian Lee.
Their history adds extra intrigue — Arslanaliev and Lee first met in the ONE Lightweight MMA World Grand Prix finals in October 2019, where the Singaporean-American walked away with a unanimous decision victory after three grueling rounds.
Now, with the stakes higher than ever, Arslanaliev could earn a long-awaited shot at revenge — this time in the welterweight division.