WATCH | Robert Soldic scores early KO of the Year contender in ONE Championship

Roberto Soldic delivered an early frontrunner for 2025’s Knockout of the Year honours at Thursday’s ONE Champions 171 in Doha Qatar.

Soldic, from Croatia, is a former two-division KSW champion. He has long been considered one of the top MMA fighters outside the UFC. He signed with ONE in 2022, and was widely expected to make a run at the promotion’s welterweight title, but quickly ran into trouble. First, he suffered a brutal groin shot in his debut fight with future PFL contender Murad Ramazanov. That one ended in a no contest. Then, in his second fight, he suffered a devastating knockout loss to Swedish finisher Zebaztian Kadestam — in a fight he seemed to be winning up until the finishing blow.

After his fights with Ramazanov and Kadestam, there was reason to believe Soldic was past his prime, or that he could not hang with the elite talent in ONE. However, at ONE 171, he reminded the world what he’s all about.

Soldic was matched up with former lightweight contender Saygid “Dagi” Arslanaliev on the card. In the early going, it looked like Dagi was in control of the action, but at the 1:55 mark of the first round, Soldic levelled his Turkish foe with a lunging straight left straight out of Tekken.

It doesn’t hold a candle to Max Holloway’s stunning, last-second KO of Justin Gaethje last year — almost nothing can surpass that — but it’s clearly an early contender for the best knockout of this year.

See it below:

“Robocop” is BACK 🦾 Roberto Soldic faceplants Dagi Arslanaliev for an incredible first-round KO! #ONE171 #VisitQatar | 🔴 LIVE NOW
💻 How to watch 👉 https://t.co/nSmoiagT3E
🌎 Live TV broadcast in 190+ countries (check local listings)
🌎 Also available on ONE YouTube and ONE… pic.twitter.com/QbUZhzHg06

— ONE Championship (@ONEChampionship) February 20, 2025

Another epic KO at ONE 171

Soldic wasn’t the only MMA fighter to score a highlight-reel KO at ONE 171 in Qatar.

Earlier on the main-card, Dagi’s countryman Shamil Erdogan scored an epic, first-round, head-kick KO of his own. His came against living ONE Championship legend Aung La N Sang. You can watch that one here too.

HEAD KICK KO 🤯 Shamil Erdogan stops former two-division ONE MMA World Champion Aung La N Sang just 28 SECONDS into their rematch! @visitqatar @qatarcalendar#ONE171 #VisitQatar | 🔴 LIVE NOW
💻 How To Watch 👉 https://t.co/nSmoiagT3E
🌎 Live TV broadcast in 190+ countries… pic.twitter.com/dbNfuRZFve

— ONE Championship (@ONEChampionship) February 20, 2025

See the full results of the card here.

What did you think of the KO Roberto Soldic scored over Dagi at ONE 171? Is this a frontrunner for the best knockout of the year?