Roberto Soldic had to battle through some early octagon jitters to eventually take over and dominate Khaos Williams to win his octagon debut at UFC 332.
The veteran welterweight was a key free-agent pickup for the UFC and he showed why with a solid striking performance and groundwork to overwhelm Williams, especially in the second and third rounds. When it was over, the judges scored the fight 29-28, 29-27 and 29-27 to give Soldic the win.
“I like USA crowd,” Soldic said after his victory. “He take
so many shots, he has a great chin. I see experience and Khaos is an amazing fighter. He hits hard. A tough opponent to welcome me here.”
Williams opened with a series of inside kicks and then unleashed a solid combination that scored a flash knockdown on Soldic. The ONE veteran was quick back to his feet but he looked stiff in the early exchanges while Williams relied on his octagon experience as he settled into a rhythm.
Soldic landed a solid punch but Williams fired right back at him and “Robocop” went down again, although he was back up again without any issue. Soldic was continuously looking for the big shot while Williams seemed ready to counter and land shots in succession.
That led to Soldic going for a takedown, although he wasn’t able to mount much damage before the opening round came to a close.
Soldic finally started to find a home for some of his best strikes and Williams began to slow. A straight left to the body hurt Williams as Soldic really started to open up and his confidence was growing.
Soldic eventually ended up on top as the fight hit the floor and he began unleashing some vicious ground and pound, although Williams survived to the horn.
A left hand kept landing for Soldic as the action moved into the final round but he was still cautious not to overextend himself and let Williams back into the fight. Another takedown from Soldic and he took the back as the fight came to a close.
Soldic now looks to jump into the deep end of the welterweight division while hopefully upping his activity after long stretches without fights in the past few years.
