Dagi Arslanaliev sees nothing “particularly dangerous” about KO artist Roberto Soldic

Welterweight MMA star Dagi Arslanaliev fears no man – not even revered knockout artist Roberto Soldic.   

The Turkish standout meets the Croatian superstar at ONE 171: Qatar next Thursday, February 20, inside Doha, Qatar’s Lusail Sports Arena in what’s expected to be a welterweight MMA slugfest. 

Before entering ONE Championship’s ranks, Soldic made a name for himself as a prolific striker around the European MMA scene. That led him to become a two-weight king in Europe’s biggest promotion, KSW. 

Meanwhile, Arslanaliev has been a stalwart member of the ONE roster since 2016. Over the duration of his tenure, he reached the ONE Lightweight MMA World Grand Prix Final, taking on the best the division has to offer. 

That’s why, with all the experience he’s gained, he remains unfazed by Soldic’s striking prowess. And Arslanaliev plans to nullify his foe’s strengths as quickly as possible. 

“Maybe Soldic is a very tough guy, but I haven’t seen anything particularly dangerous from him,” the 30-year-old said.  

“Any opponent can be dangerous if you yawn and sleep with your mouth open, you know? Then anything can happen.” 

Dagi Arslanaliev looks to make an example of Roberto Soldic 

A lot has changed in ONE’s MMA world since 2021. That’s when Dagi Arslanaliev last competed in the all-encompassing sport. But he intends to be the everlasting constant at ONE 171.  

But with 17 knockouts in 20 professional wins, Soldic is notorious for getting in and getting out of the ring as quickly as possible. That’s not how Arslanaliev sees the script going for their upcoming clash, though. 

He intends to make an example of the Croatian by putting him through as much hell as possible to remind the division of his skill set.   

“For me, it would be better to take the fight to the later rounds,” Arslanaliev said.  

“That way, when my opponent tires, I can show something special to the audience.”