“I think I can beat him again” - Roberto Soldic confident he can take out UFC champ Dricus du Plessis a second time

Ahead of his much-anticipated return to action, Roberto Soldic took a moment to reflect on one of the most significant victories of his MMA career.

One of the early setbacks in Soldic’s journey came at the hands of reigning UFC middleweight world champion Dricus du Plessis. In their first meeting in April 2018, the South African captured the KSW welterweight title by stopping the Croatian superstar via second-round TKO.

However, true to his warrior spirit, Soldic avenged the loss just six months later, delivering a crushing knockout in the third round to reclaim the belt.

To this day, he remains the last man to defeat Du Plessis, who has since amassed a dominant 11-fight winning streak.

Speaking to ONE Championship, 'Robocop' expressed confidence that if a trilogy bout ever materializes, he would once again emerge victorious:

“He is still the same fighter. I think I can beat him again.”

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Roberto Soldic takes on fellow hard-hitter at ONE 171

For now, Roberto Soldic is eager to return to competition. It has been over two years since he made waves by signing an exclusive deal with ONE as one of the most coveted free agents in the sport at the time.

With 20 career wins — 17 by knockout and one by submission — he built a reputation as one of Europe’s most feared finishers. His devastating power propelled him to two-division glory in KSW, the continent’s premier MMA promotion.

But transitioning to the world’s largest martial arts organization has been a challenge. Despite entering with tremendous fanfare, the 30-year-old has yet to secure his first promotional victory.

Determined to turn the tide, Soldic has been putting in the work, and he’ll have his opportunity at ONE 171.

Set to take place at Lusail Sports Arena in Qatar on Thursday, Feb. 20, he is slated to face off against Dagi Arslanaliev in a crucial welterweight showdown.