'That was insane'… Fans go wild as last man to beat Dricus du Plessis beats opponent with KO of the Year contender

02/20/2025 04:38 PM

While defeating Dricus Du Plessis was impressive, Roberto Soldic has just sent shockwaves through the sport with an even more ruthless knockout at ONE 171.

On October 6, 2018, at KSW 45, inside Wembley Arena, London, UK, the Croatian went head-to-head with the now UFC middleweight champion.

Having lost their first encounter, Soldic was determined to get his revenge.

In the third round, he detonated a thunderous left hand on his rival, before finishing the job via brutal ground and pound.

WOW: Dricus Du Plessis puzzles UFC champion, who is unsure what middleweight king is good at

Roberto Soldic destroys Saygid Guseyn Arslanaliev at ONE 171

Roberto Soldic arrived at the Lusail Sports Arena in Qatar with a massive point to prove.

His opponent, Saygid Guseyn Arslanaliev, was determined to pull off the upset, and was happy to strike with the power puncher, which eventually proved to be his undoing.

As the Russian-Armenian went to throw a kick, Soldic burst into life, launching a devastating left hand, that left his rival flat on his face — out cold.

The victory will likely propel the fighter towards a title shot in ONE Championship. However, it’s also simultaneously created a lot of hype for a rematch with Dricus Du Plessis.

While the South African is currently dominating in the UFC, there’s no doubt he’ll want to get this one back.

However, while even Chael Sonnen says Du Plessis has the most confusing style he’s ever seen, Soldic has proven he’s more than capable of solving that Rubix Cube.

One-armed fighter dominates opponent to score KO win at ONE 171

Soldic wasn’t the only MMA star to impress at ONE 171.

Jake Peacock, who is missing part of his right arm, looked nothing short of sensational in his match-up with Shinji Suzuki.

Rather than letting his limb difference define him, the son of Chelsea soccer legend, Gavin Peacock, has used it to fuel his fire to become one of the best Muay Thai practitioners on the planet.

And it’s fair to say, Peacock looked truly devastating as he landed a frightening KO.