“I know what I can do” - Roberto Soldic feels vindicated following maiden win in ONE Championship

'Robocop' Roberto Solidic finally got his moment at ONE 171: Qatar on February 20, securing his first win via first-round knockout against Turkish opponent Dagi Arslanaliev. For a fighter who came with such hype, this victory is a mark in the win column, and, more importantly, it was validation.

In the ONE 171 post-event press conference, Soldic said:

"It feels good, I feel amazing. It is what I do always. This is my job. I mean, I'm not surprised about that, because I know what I can do, so I keep going. Sometimes you have ups and downs in life, in your career also, but now everythingi s all right. And yeah, I'm happy."

After a rough start in ONE Championship, Soldic was under pressure to live up to his reputation as one of Europe's best strikers. With this win, he showed the world exactly what he's capable of.

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"It's good to take some break" - Roberto Soldic says time off fighting allowed him to be at his sparkling best at ONE 171: Qatar

For Roberto Soldic, stepping away from fighting was exactly what he needed to come back stronger. After 20 months out of competition, 'Robocop' returned at ONE 171: Qatar looking sharper than ever, and he credits his time off for his standout performance.

"You know, sometimes, it's good to take some break from the fight because, you know, like, I miss it now. You know, 20 months is enough time, and I get a fight," Soldic said.

The long layoff gave Roberto Soldic a renewed hunger to compete and, consequently, gave the fans a good show. After some back-and-forth with his opponent, Soldic masterfully timed a bone-rattling left hand that had Arslanaliev napping on the canvas under the bright lights of the ONE Championship stage.

If you haven't seen it, you're missing out. Watch the incredible knockout below: