ONE 171: Qatar – Dagi Arslanaliev Set For Showdown Against Croatian Star Roberto Soldic

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Dagi Arslanaliev returns to mixed martial arts after a long hiatus at ONE 171: Qatar. On Thursday, February 20, Lusail Sports Arena will come alive when he and another dangerous knockout artist take centre stage.

Arslanaliev faces Croatian fighter Roberto Soldic, who is regarded as one of the best fighters to come out of Europe. The Turkish fighter is moving up from the lightweight to welterweight division, and this will be his first MMA fight in ONE since 2021.

The 30-year-old isn't a fan of his opponent's fighting style. In fact, Arslanaliev believes the Croatian tries to avoid engaging during fights. That's why he doesn't want to predict the outcome and will instead focus on fighting when the Circle door locks.

"It doesn't matter what weight he's at. When we step into the cage, it's just him and me. His supporters and mine stay outside. He doesn't wrestle much and avoids the fight at times. I've watched his bouts - he can be quite passive," Arslanaliev said.

"I'll just work hard and see how things go. I don't really focus too much on his strengths or weaknesses. I just do my job. I can't predict what will happen in the fight, and I won't make any statements because I don't know how things will unfold."

Arslanaliev has proven himself one of the most dangerous and versatile lightweight MMA fighters. He boasts an MMA record of 9-2, having never went the distance in any of his wins. In fact, he has shown the ability to stop fights both on the feet and on the ground.

For this upcoming fight, the Turk's plan is quite simple - look for the finish. He aims to take his opponent into deep water, where Arslanaliev can tire him out and show something special for the fans.

"If the finish comes early, I'll do my best to make it happen," he said. "For me, it would be better to take the fight to the later rounds. That way, when my opponent tires, I can show something special to the audience."

ONE 171: Qatar Fight Card

• Bantamweight Kickboxing World Championship Bout: Jonathan Haggerty (c) vs. Wei Rui
• Strawweight MMA World Championship Bout: Joshua Pacio (c) vs. Jarred Brooks (ic)
• Bantamweight Kickboxing Bout: Petchtanong Petchfergus vs. Ilias Ennahachi
• Middleweight MMA Bout: Aung La Nsang vs. Shamil Erdogan
• Welterweight MMA Bout: Roberto Soldić vs. Saygid Guseyn Arslanaliev
• Bantamweight MMA Bout: Bibiano Fernandes vs. Kevin Belingon
• Featherweight MMA Bout: Shamil Gasanov vs. Martin Nguyen
• Heavyweight MMA Bout: Mauro Cerilli vs. Kirill Grishenko
• Bantamweight Muay Thai Bout: Jake Peacock vs. Shinji Suzuki
• Women's Atomweight MMA Bout: Ritu Phogat vs. Ayaka Miura
• Lightweight MMA Bout: Kade Ruotolo vs. Nicolas Alejandro Vigna
• Lightweight MMA Bout: Abdullo Khodzhaev vs. Wilian Poles
• Flyweight Submission Grappling Bout: Zayed Alkatheeri vs. Jarrah Alhazzaa