Alexander Soldatkin Record: 14-4-0

The breakout finish

The signature win of Soldatkin's career to date came in November 2021, when he knocked out the 13-3 veteran Edivan Santos with punches in the very first round at RCC: Intro 18. It was exactly the kind of statement a heavyweight prospect needs – a clean, early finish against a proven opponent – and it cemented his reputation as a legitimate finisher rather than a regional padder. He kept the pace up through 2022 with first-round knockouts of Jackson Gonçalves and Roggers Souza, extending one of the most lopsided finishing runs in his weight class.

Contender Series setback

Soldatkin's path to the UFC stalled in September 2023, when he appeared on Dana White's Contender Series against the unbeaten Mario Piazzon. The bout ended in a third-round loss by way of an illegal knee – a frustrating, controversial finish that denied him the promotional contract despite a competitive showing. He rebounded later that year with a decision win over Ivan Romanov in a kickboxing bout at RCC 17, keeping himself active while carrying a 14-4 MMA record into the next stage of his career.

Fighting style

Soldatkin is a pure knockout-hunting heavyweight whose game is built around heavy, fight-ending hands. The numbers are striking: of his 14 wins, 10 have come by knockout and only two have gone to the judges, giving him a finish rate around 86% – elite even by heavyweight standards. He is happy to let his power do the talking, walking opponents down and looking to end matters in the opening round, where the overwhelming majority of his stoppages have come. He has also shown he can submit when the opportunity arises, with armbar finishes on his ledger. The questions, as with many big-punching prospects, sit on the other side of the equation: his losses have come by decision and submission rather than knockout, suggesting that opponents who can survive the early storm and drag him into deeper waters present his toughest test.

Career highlights

• Elite finishing rate — owns a roughly 86% finish rate, with 10 of his 14 wins coming by knockout, among the most fearsome power profiles in the heavyweight division.
• Statement knockout — flattened the 13-3 veteran Edivan Santos with first-round punches at RCC: Intro 18, his career-defining win.
• Contender Series appearance — earned a spot on Dana White's Contender Series in 2023, a measure of how far his knockout run had carried him on the international radar.