"[2] Soltani returned to the Olympics at the 1996 Summer Games in Atlanta, United States, competing this time in the lightweight division.

[8] Hocine turned pro in 1998, and made his professional debut against Michael Jobert on 30 November 1998 at the Palais des Sports in Paris, France, winning by technical knockout.

Hocine fought for a final time on 27 January 2000, his only professional bout in Algeria, against Fabrice Colombel in a split decision.

[1][9] His nephew, Mebarek Soltani went on to compete for Algeria at the 2000 and 2004 Summer Olympics in boxing, but did not match his uncle's success, being unable to win any medals.

[10] Following his retirement from boxing following his four professional bouts, Soltani began working in the importing and exporting of cars in Marseille, where he had settled with his wife and child.

When a body was found in September 2004, the idea that it could be Soltani was met with skepticism by his brother, but DNA tests demonstrated that it was the missing ex-boxer.

[11] The man with whom Soltani met that day was arrested and sentenced to eight years in prison for kidnapping and the subsequent death of the victim;[2] however, rumours continued of an underworld connection.