Roberto Soldic, the fighter who holds the notable distinction of being the only man to professionally knock out current UFC middleweight champion Dricus du Plessis, is poised to make a rather unconventional career move. Fresh off delivering a `Knockout of the Year` contender in his recent ONE Championship appearance – a finish that seemingly reignited his trajectory in the mixed martial arts world after a period of inconsistency – Soldic`s next bout will not be inside the cage but rather the boxing ring.
This unexpected turn involves a return to professional boxing, a sport where Soldic holds a modest 4-0 record, though his last pro fight was nearly seven years ago in 2017. The intrigue is significantly heightened by his opponent: Tomasz Adamek, a decorated former two-weight world champion. Adamek, who held titles at both light heavyweight (WBC) and cruiserweight (IBF, The Ring) during his illustrious boxing career, retired in 2018 with a record of 53 wins and 6 losses.
Adding a curious layer to the narrative, the 48-year-old Adamek recently stepped back into combat sports to face Mamed Khalidov – the same fighter Soldic famously knocked out in an MMA contest four years prior. Adamek also secured a win against Khalidov earlier this year, though via TKO due to a hand injury suffered by Khalidov in the third round.
The peculiar clash between Soldic and the veteran Adamek is scheduled to take place on September 6th at the FAME 27: KINGDOM event in Gliwice, Poland. FAME, known for its events blending professional fighters with celebrity and influencer bouts, provides a fitting stage for this cross-generational and cross-disciplinary contest.
For Soldic, this boxing detour arrives at a peculiar juncture. His recent, emphatic knockout in ONE Championship was widely seen as the performance needed to propel him into title contention within the promotion. Diverting to a boxing match, particularly against an opponent significantly past his prime boxing years and in a promotion less centered on traditional championship pursuits, is a notable departure from building momentum towards MMA gold.
Understandably, given their history, the conversation about a potential trilogy fight between Soldic and Dricus du Plessis persists. They stand at one win apiece from their time competing under the KSW banner. Soldic himself has acknowledged the possibility of a third meeting someday, noting their relative youth in the sport. However, with Soldic competing in ONE Championship and Du Plessis reigning in the UFC, an immediate rubber match remains challenging to arrange. This upcoming boxing bout with Adamek places any hypothetical trilogy squarely on the back burner for the foreseeable future, underscoring the often unpredictable career paths fighters navigate outside of direct promotional title chases.
