“That’s the sport” - Dagi Arslanaliev reflects on the brutal loss he suffered at the hands of Roberto Soldic at ONE 171

It wasn't how Dagi Arslanaliev envisioned his return to the ONE Championship Circle.

The Turkish knockout monster suffered one of the year's most brutal finishes when he lost to Croatian sensation Roberto Soldic in their welterweight MMA matchup at ONE 171: Qatar on Feb. 20 at Lusail Sports Arena.

Soldic plastered Arslanaliev with his patented left hook to score the vicious first-round knockout win that sent absolute shockwaves in the MMA community.

Taking to Instagram, Arslanaliev promised to bounce back from the devastating loss against Soldic in Qatar.

Dagi Arslanaliev posted:

"2.5 years out, battling serious injuries, and stepping up against a very hungry KSW double champion Soldic in a different weight class—definitely a tough challenge, but I’ve never backed down from one. 💯 I started strong, but the ring rust showed, and in this game, one mistake can cost you everything. Took a tough KO loss, but that’s the sport. 🥊💥:

The Turkish mauler added:

"Big thanks to @yodchatri [ONE Championship CEO Chatri Sityodtong] and my manager @sufcult for the opportunity, to the people of Qatar for their incredible hospitality 🇶🇦, and to everyone who sent messages of support and motivation. ✊🏼 I appreciate you all! ❤️"

During the card's broadcast, commentator Mitch Chilson revealed that Arslanaliev was sidelined after getting shot seven times when he broke up an altercation in Dagestan.

Despite his wounds, Arslanaliev returned to fighting shape and will look to mount a new challenge in the welterweight MMA division.

Arslanaliev is an absolute tank of a man, with an impressive mark of eight wins in ONE Championship, and all of his wins came via either knockout or submission.

Fans can watch replays of ONE 171 at watch.onefc.com.

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Roberto Soldic says his knockout of Dagi Arslanaliev wasn't new to him

While fans either grimaced or applauded at Roberto Soldic's knockout of Dagi Arslanaliev, the former two-division KSW champion said the highlight reel finish wasn't new to him.

Soldic told reporters during the post-event press conference for ONE 171 that he's had his fair share of knockouts and that his victory over Arslanaliev was just par for the course.

"I do my job, my performance. And, you know, like, it's nothing new for me."

Soldic, a former KSW welterweight and middleweight champion, holds an impressive 21-4 professional record with 18 of his wins coming via knockout.