Open Fighting Championship heavyweight Alexander Soldatkin is our latest Russian prospect to watch out for. Not being paid by the minute, Soldatkin is a legit finisher who has eight stoppage wins among his 10 victories in MMA.
Tale of the Tape
Fighting out of Togliatti, Russia
Age: 28
Weight class: Heavyweight
Height: 6’2”
Training out of Tiewaz Pro
Record: 10-3
6 KO/TKOs, 2 Submissions
Pros
- Athletic
- Diverse
- Heavy hands
- Physically strong
- Good ground and pound
- Submission threat
- Good output
- Mixes in punches and kicks together well
Cons
- Uncomfortable going backwards
- TDD needs work
- Questionable gas tank
- Not great off his back
Striking: B-
Kickboxing: B-
Movement: C
Output/Volume: B
Aggression: B-
Head movement: C
Speed: C
Knockout power: B+
Bodywork: C
Takedown defense: C+
Grappling: C+
Grappling defense: C
Wrestling: C
Clinch: C
Feints/Fakes: C
Endurance: C+
IQ: B-
Stand-up
Soldatkin is a big, muscular guy and someone you don’t expect to throw a lot of spinning attacks — but that’s exactly what he does. The big man doesn’t overuse the flashy attacks but uses them just to keep his opponent guessing. His movement can be a bit stationary and he will let guys come to him instead of going forward himself. At times that works out for him because he can lull opponents into his power. On the other hand his head doesn’t move and going backwards he tends to get hit a lot.
Soldatkin does a fine job throwing kicks and punches together flowing through. I will say he does miss more times than not and will waste a lot of energy. But when he does connect it usually has a big impact. He has the power, explosion, and output but just needs the movement, angles, and set-ups for his striking to be more of a weapon.
Wrestling
You’re not going to see Soldatkin shoot for double legs very often. He’s more of someone that likes to force guys down using his strength. At times he’s been able to counter-wrestle using his strength to throw opponents down when they advance the takedown. I wouldn’t rate his wrestling high because powering opposing fighters down with no real technique won’t take you far.
Grappling
Defensive grappling is an area in need of some work. Offensive grappling he’s fair at. Soldatkin does have three submissions so that at least shows he knows how to close a grounded fight. He’s more of a striker though so grappling to him in on the backburner
Overall
Soldatkin is one of those fighters I thought were better before I dug deep on the footage. Not saying he’s bad as he is worth keeping an eye on. Someone with his power and athleticism alone is a threat. You can get away with a not-so-great gas tank at heavyweight since most of the time the bigger guys don’t go three rounds. But with that said having bad takedown defense and having trouble off your back foot means you won’t fare well against the better heavyweights.
Soldatkin is only 28, so it’s still up in the air as to how much better he can get. 28 is young for a heavyweight. I’d like to see him be more aggressive and set up his big strikes more. All he needs is a few things and he will be a much better prospect. Right now he’s just another heavyweight that will struggle every time a step-up in competition comes.
