“I can’t predict what will happen” - Dagi Arslanaliev refuses to bite more than he can chew against Roberto Soldic in Qatar

Dagi Arslanaliev knows he has a massive challenge ahead as he prepares to face Roberto Soldic.

Both men are slated to face each other in a high-stakes welterweight showdown at ONE 171: Qatar, set for Thursday, Feb. 20, at the Lusail Sports Arena.

For this bout, the Turkish powerhouse is making his welterweight debut, and he's diving straight into deep waters at 185 pounds.

Despite being one of the most feared lightweights in ONE Championship history, Arslanaliev faces a daunting task against a striking phenom like Soldic.

He delved more into this topic in a recent interview with ONE Championship:

“I can’t predict what will happen in the fight, and I won’t make any statements because I don’t know how things will unfold.”

The Croatian hard-hitter has built a reputation for delivering devastating finishes, with 17 of his 20 career victories coming by way of knockout.

During his dominant five-year run in KSW, he steamrolled the competition with seven knockout wins and a lone decision victory, with his only setback — a stoppage loss to Dricus du Plessis in April 2018 — avenged just six months later with a knockout of his own.

Soldic entered ONE with sky-high expectations in 2022, but his promotional run has been rocky so far, with a frustrating no-contest followed by a tough loss.

Now, 'Robocop' is determined to remind the world why he was one of the most sought-after free agents in MMA.

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Dagi Arslanaliev eyes big win against Roberto Soldic at ONE 171

However, Roberto Soldic isn’t the only one with something to prove at ONE 171: Qatar.

Dagi Arslanaliev has long been a staple of ONE’s lightweight elite, using his explosive takedowns and relentless ground-and-pound to deliver eight highlight-reel finishes.

A win over Soldic in Qatar could catapult him into world title contention in the welterweight division, potentially setting up a blockbuster clash and a rematch with two-division ONE world champion Christian Lee.