After his ONE Championship stint did not go as planned or promised, Roberto Soldic is ready to make noise in the UFC.
Soldic, a former two-division KSW champion, had the opportunity to join the UFC several years ago. He instead opted to sign with ONE Championship, which lured him with promises of 10 fights across multiple different combat sports over the span of a few years. Reality proved different, however, as he competed just three times under the promotion's banner since his December 2022 debut.
After considering himself "semi-retired" from MMA due to the inactivity, Soldic's ONE Championship contract finally expired in May. His team spent several months negotiating with UFC and earlier this month finally agreed to terms for Soldic (21-4 MMA,
0-0 UFC) to make his octagon debut at UFC 332 on Oct. 4 in Salt Lake City (CBS, Paramount+) where he takes on Khaos Williams (16-5 MMA, 7-4 UFC) in a welterweight bout.
"Everything was on the right time," Soldic told MMA Junkie. "I had really good fights in ONE Championship and KSW and Cage Warriors. UFC is the biggest stage, so I have to compete with the best guys, no easy fights. It doesn't matter where you fight. No easy fights, and that's it. This level, small details decide if you win or lose, and you have to really quick, sharp and don't underestimate nobody. With my career, I do the same. I came at a good time to the UFC, so I feel I am ready. I feel I am ready now to compete in the UFC after all my fights."
At 31 and with more than two dozen professional fights on his record, Soldic sees himself in the thick of his prime and is hopeful to make an impact on the 170-pound weight class. He is not looking too far down the road, because right now he's completely fixated on making a strong first impression when he steps inside the octagon at UFC 332.
"He's a dangerous striker," Soldic said of Williams. "He's an American guy and a hometown guy. He has 11 fights in the UFC and is a KO puncher. I never say no to opponents. They offered him, and I accept for my UFC debut. I'm happy for this fight.
"(My rise in the division) depends on the fights. I'll give my best, and we'll see. It can be quick or it can be not quick. Everything can happen in this life. It can be quick, but I have in front of me a really dangerous guy who is 10 times more experienced in the UFC than me. First Khaos, then we will see how I handle this."
This article originally appeared on MMA Junkie: Roberto Soldic seeks impactful UFC 332 debut after being 'semi-retired' in ONE
