Roberto Soldic was all smiles after finally making his long-awaited UFC debut.
The former KSW champion earned a unanimous decision victory over Khaos Williams at UFC 332 on Saturday, successfully launching his UFC career with a composed three-round performance against one of the promotion’s most durable welterweights.
Speaking at the post-fight press conference, Soldic admitted he was thrilled to finally compete on the biggest stage in MMA.
“I was very excited (and) happy to compete in best (organization) in the world, the biggest stage in the world,” Soldic said. “So I get the first win. Khaos is a crazy, hard opponent. And, yeah, for (good) reason, he's never getting KO’d.”
Soldic attempted to find the finish but quickly realized that Williams was not going to be an easy man to put away. Rather than forcing the action, he remained patient and secured the victory on the scorecards.
“I tried. He (ate) my punches like crazy, you know? But I didn't rush. I take my win and move to the next one,” he said.
Soldic felt little pressure to live up to his reputation
Soldic entered the UFC with considerable expectations after establishing himself as one of Europe's top fighters, having won KSW titles in both the welterweight and middleweight divisions.
The 31-year-old said he never felt the need to prove that he belonged.
“Not so, because I don't need to prove something. I proved already in Europe,” Soldic said. “I just came here to enjoy what I love to do, you know, training, fighting.”
He acknowledged that some pressure is inevitable whenever he steps into the cage, particularly with the spotlight of the UFC on him, but insisted it never became overwhelming.
“There was a little bit pressure, of course, like usually (when I) fight,” Soldic said. “But I take it, going forward for finish. The guys and, yeah, it's kind of pressure, but nothing like crazy that I can't fight.”
Soldic also suggested that debuting UFC fighters can often become consumed by the pressure to make an immediate statement.
“Some guys, they have a lot of pressure. They want to show, but they show nothing, you know?” he said. “I just came here (to) enjoy myself, what I like to do, and that's it.”
Soldic confident he has more to show
While the debut victory did not end with the knockout many expected from the heavy-handed Croatian, Soldic believes the performance demonstrated that his game is far more complete than just his striking.
“I'm a full, complete fighter, so I can wrestle. I have conditioning. I have good striking,” he said. “Tonight I showed this and moving (forward) to the next one.”
Soldic also made it clear that he has no intention of becoming complacent after his first UFC win. He sees plenty of room for improvement and intends to keep developing as he moves deeper into his UFC run.
“I mean, always there's some space to learn some new things. So I'm always learning and never look at the past,” Soldic said. “So always future and that's it.”
