Roberto Soldić KSW Highlights: Knockouts vs. Du Plessis, Materla & Khalidov
Before Roberto Soldić reached the UFC, “Robocop” built his reputation as one of Europe’s most dangerous knockout artists inside the KSW cage. Between December 2017 and December 2021, Soldić fought nine times for the Polish promotion, went 8-1, won championships in two divisions and stopped seven of the eight opponents he defeated.
These Roberto Soldić KSW highlights trace that four-year run from his title-winning debut against Borys Mańkowski through knockouts of Dricus du Plessis, Michał Materla and Mamed Khalidov. The compilation also shows why his left hand and patient pressure made him one of the promotion’s defining fighters of the era.
Roberto Soldić wins KSW gold against Borys Mańkowski
Soldić entered KSW with little time to ease into the promotion. At KSW 41 in December 2017, he challenged reigning welterweight champion Borys Mańkowski in his promotional debut.
The Croatian repeatedly punished Mańkowski with straight left hands, kicks and sustained pressure while defending the champion’s attempts to change the fight with his wrestling. After three punishing rounds, Mańkowski’s corner stopped the contest before Round 4 could begin. Soldić had arrived in KSW and immediately taken its welterweight championship.
His first reign did not last long. At KSW 43, future UFC middleweight champion Dricus du Plessis stopped Soldić with punches at 1:37 of Round 2 and took the belt.
Six months later, Soldić got his rematch at KSW 45 in London. This time the fight reached Round 3 before Soldić landed the decisive left hand and followed with punches for the knockout at 2:33. He had avenged the only loss of his KSW career and become welterweight champion for a second time.
The knockout streak that turned Soldić into a KSW star
The rematch with du Plessis began the most destructive stretch of Soldić’s KSW run. At KSW 46, he knocked out Vinicius Bohrer with a single left hand late in Round 1. Five months later at KSW 49, Krystian Kaszubowski lasted only 85 seconds before another Soldić left hand ended the fight.
His next appearance, a unanimous decision over Michał Pietrzak at KSW 50, became the only victory of Soldić’s nine-fight KSW run that reached the judges.
When he returned at KSW 56, Soldić moved up to middleweight to face former champion Michał Materla. Materla survived several early attacks, but Soldić continued landing heavy combinations until the referee intervened at 4:40 of Round 1.
The Materla finish showed that Soldić’s power was not limited to welterweight. It also set up the two championship performances that closed his KSW career.
Patrik Kincl and the Mamed Khalidov knockout
Soldić returned to 170 pounds at KSW 63 to defend his title against Patrik Kincl. Kincl made him work through the first two rounds and had success with his own grappling, but Soldić hurt him early in the third, established top position and finished with ground-and-pound at 2:59.
His final KSW appearance brought the biggest opportunity of the run. At KSW 65, welterweight champion Soldić moved up to challenge middleweight king Mamed Khalidov, one of the most important fighters in the promotion’s history.
After a competitive opening round, Soldić found the finish in the second. A powerful left hand dropped Khalidov during an exchange, and follow-up punches ended the fight at 3:40. Soldić left KSW as both its welterweight and middleweight champion, having won eight of nine appearances and avenged his only defeat.
From KSW and ONE Championship to UFC 332
Soldić left KSW in 2022 and signed with ONE Championship. His run there was far less active: a debut no contest against Murad Ramazanov was followed by a knockout loss to Zebaztian Kadestam and, eventually, a stoppage victory over Dagi Arslanaliev in February 2025.
When his ONE contract expired in August 2026, Soldić became a free agent again. This time, the long-discussed move to the UFC finally happened.
Soldić enters the UFC with a 21-4 professional record and 18 knockout or TKO victories. His Octagon debut is scheduled for UFC 332 on October 3, 2026, where he returns to welterweight against Khaos Williams. The Soldić vs. Williams matchup puts two proven knockout punchers together on the Salt Lake City main card.
For viewers discovering Soldić through his UFC arrival, this KSW compilation is effectively the answer to why his debut has attracted so much attention: Mańkowski, du Plessis, Materla, Kincl and Khalidov all appear along the path that made “Robocop” one of the most accomplished fighters to come out of European MMA without previously competing in the UFC.
For more on the promotion where Soldić built that reputation, read MMAtown’s guide to what KSW is and how it became one of Europe’s major MMA organizations. KSW continues on October 10 with KSW 122, headlined by the bantamweight championship fight between Vitalii Yakymenko and Marcello Morelli.