ONE Championship mainstay Dagi Arslanaliev (9-2) will meet a fellow finisher when he squares off with Roberto Soldic (20-4) at ONE 171: Qatar next week – but he feels far from concerned about his opponent’s knockout power.
The duo’s welterweight MMA battle is set to be a barnburner when it goes down on Thursday, 20th February, at ONE’s highly anticipated return to Doha, Qatar’s Lusail Sports Arena.
It brings together two fighters with proven track records for finishing fights, so the chances of it going to the end are slim. Each of Arslanaliev’s eight wins in the world’s largest martial organization have come via finish, while Soldic holds 17 knockouts in 20 professional victories.
His upcoming foe’s slate may be intimidating to many, but the Turkish star is far from concerned.
“Maybe Soldic is a very tough guy, but I haven’t seen anything particularly dangerous from him,” Arslanaliev said. “Any opponent can be dangerous if you yawn and sleep with your mouth open, you know? Then anything can happen.”
It’s been four years since Arslanaliev last strapped on the 4oz gloves and stepped into an MMA battle in ONE Championship. A lot has changed in the promotion over that time, so he wants to remind fans just how deadly he can be at ONE 171.
So, while many onlookers expect a fast duel, the 30-year-old brawler plans to make an example of Soldic by dragging the Croatian into deep waters and then ending the bout in dominant fashion.
“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.”
ONE 171: Qatar goes down on Thursday 20th February at the Lusail Sports Arena in Lusail, Qatar.
