Dropped twice in round one, Soldic recovers to win UFC debut via decision at UFC 332

Roberto Soldic survived a turbulent first round to beat Kalinn Williams by unanimous decision at UFC 332 on Saturday in Salt Lake City, completing a composed comeback in his long-awaited UFC debut.

The former KSW champion was dropped twice by Williams inside the opening three minutes, but steadied himself to control the second and third rounds and take the fight on all three judges’ scorecards. It was a measured, patient performance from a fighter better known for his finishing ability — and one Soldic said was entirely intentional.

“I didn’t rush. I just took my win,” Soldic said at the UFC 332 post-fight press conference. “I don’t want to prove I have to kill somebody. I have to win and just show my skills and that’s it. He’s an experienced fighter. He was like 16-5 — 21 fights with amateur, 33 fights total. He had 11 fights on the big stage. You can fight with one or two guys who fought in the UFC, but the guy had 11 fights in the UFC. That’s something different. He’s seen the crowds, the cage, the people. For me, it was all new. I came here as a guest. It was a good fight, tough opponent.”

Soldic, nicknamed “Robocop”, had not competed since February 2025, when he made his final appearance in One Championship — a layoff of roughly 18 months. Despite the ring rust, the Croatian said the extended break gave him perspective on his own conditioning.

“He took all my punches,” Soldic added. “I showed that I can also wrestle, and he took a lot of punches — also a crazy high kick, ground and pound, left hooks and right hooks. It was a good experience. I hadn’t fought for one and a half years. Three rounds. This fight means a lot for me because I see I have the condition for five rounds, and I see I don’t get tired; I was always going forward.”

The win deposits Soldic into one of the UFC’s most competitive divisions. The Croatian welterweight already holds a notable scalp outside the promotion — a knockout victory over Dricus Du Plessis, who has since become UFC middleweight champion. How quickly the UFC moves him up the 170-pound rankings will depend on his next assignment, but Saturday’s performance suggested he is capable of adapting his game well beyond the knockout threat that built his reputation.