"That left hand is a bomb" - Chatri Sityodtong stacks praise on Roberto Soldic's 'monstrous KO power' after grand finish at ONE 171

ONE Championship Chairman and CEO Chatri Sityodtong gave Roberto Soldic his flowers for his absurd first-round knockout at ONE 171: Qatar last Thursday, February 20.

The Croatian MMA star arrived in the promotion as one of the hottest KO machines in the sport in August 2022.

Though fans had to wait a little longer than expected to see him strut his stuff on the global stage, Soldic gave them what they were hoping for with a counter-left hook that separated Dagi Arslanaliev from his senses in round one.

Sityodtong, as impressed as he was with Soldic's venomous fists, told the media assembled at the ONE 171: Qatar post-event press conference that it wasn't something that truly surprised him.

The lifelong martial artist reflected on the time he witnessed Roberto Soldic's insane power first-hand when they met in Singapore and how he was instantly convinced that no one could hold a candle to 'Robocop's punching power:

"You could see Roberto, and this is what I think fans around the world can now see his monstrous KO power, his monster one-punch KO power."

He added:

"Like, when I saw him hit pads, he came to Singapore, and we're talking, and I had never seen anyone hit that hard in my life. And I've seen a lot of incredible strikers, but that left hand is a bomb."

Soldic's triumph inside the Lusail Sports Arena was his first in the promotion. His 18th career knockout boosted his overall slate to 21-4 and bagged him a US$50,000 performance bonus.

Watch the full ONE 171: Qatar post-event press conference here:

Fans can replay Soldic's emphatic highlight-reel knockout of Dagi Arslanaliev and the entire ONE 171: Qatar card at watch.onefc.com.

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What's next for Roberto Soldic in ONE Championship?

Roberto Soldic might have waited for quite a bit to punch his ticket to a victory inside the ONE Circle, but, truth be told, he couldn't have done it any better.

The victory in Qatar also opens up a couple of interesting options for 'Robocop.'

One choice is a rematch against former ONE welterweight MMA world champion Zebaztian Kadestam. The Swede powerhouse knocked Soldic out at ONE Fight Night 10, and the Croatian slugger would love nothing more than to pull one back.

If that doesn't take place, the fighting pride of UFD Gym could well have earned his shot at two-division MMA world champion Christian Lee, who is still in search of his first welterweight world title defense since claiming it against Kiamrian Abbasov in November 2022.

Whichever way this plays out, Roberto Soldic's monstrous knockout at ONE 171 will certainly put the division on notice. With his ability to shut opponents' lights out, fans will be eager to see what's next for 'Robocop' on martial arts' grandest platform.