Roberto Soldić fights Daniel Rodriguez at UFC Dallas on January 16

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Roberto Soldić | (Photo by Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC) Roberto Soldić is getting his chance to break into the welterweight top 15. On Monday, MMA Fighting confirmed that Soldić will fight Daniel Rodriguez at UFC Dallas, the first UFC event of 2027, which takes place on Jan. 16. The matchup was first reported by The Starch. A former two-division KSW champion, Soldić (18-2, 1 NC) joined the UFC this year, making his promotional debut last month, where he won a unanimous decision over Khaos Williams at UFC 332. The 31-year-old Croatian fighter previously held the KSW welterweight and middleweight titles, but spent the past several years in ONE Championship. A staple of the UFC’s welterweight division since 2020, Rodriguez (20-6) spent a good chunk of 2026 in a Tijuana prison before being released in April. The No. 14-ranked UFC welterweight returned to the cage in August, where he was knocked out in 30 seconds by Uros Medic at UFC Serbia, halting his three-fight winning streak. Damon Martin and Mike Heck contributed to this report.