Zebaztian “The Bandit” Kadestam (9-3) shocked the world in his ONE Championship debut back in May. Now, he plans to do it again.
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This time, the stage is bigger and the task is tougher, as Kadestam will try to dethrone a champion who has remained unbeaten over the course of eight impressive years.
The 26-year-old Stockholm, Sweden native looks to etch his name into the history books on Saturday, 2 September, when he meets ONE Welterweight World Champion Ben Askren (16-0, 1 NC) in the main event of ONE CHAMPIONSHIP: SHANGHAI.
The card is the promotion’s first in the Chinese metropolis. And, if Kadestam has his way, he will leave fans inside the Shanghai Oriental Sports Center with a memory that lasts a lifetime, courtesy of a highlight reel knockout.
“I have seen the knockout many times. I see it coming,” he says. “It is going to be hard work, and it is going to take a lot to get it done, but it will happen. The hard work will pay off.”
Kadestam, a former PXC Welterweight titleholder, got the opportunity of a lifetime courtesy of a short notice bout in May. Replacing an injured Vuyisile Colossa on a mere two weeks’ notice, the Swede stood across the cage from feared striker and former title challenger Luis “Sapo” Santos.
Kadestam prepared for the high risk, high reward, bout at the Pancrase Gym Sweden for nine days, and then made his way to Singapore’s Juggernaut Fight Club the week of the bout. It was there that “Team Kadestam" formulated a gutsy plan to emerge victorious.
When the bell rang, he put the plan into action. The goal was to outlast his opponent. After allowing “Sapo” to control the first ten minutes of the bout, the Brazilian began to tire. That is when Kadestam went to work.
With time ticking away, “The Bandit” snatched victory from the jaws of defeat, scoring a takedown and stunning Santos with a devastating knee. The blow was followed up by punches and a swift pair of knees end to the bout.
That comeback knockout resulted in the organization’s newest title challenger.
“I believe in myself more, I have more confidence, and I feel like I am where I am supposed to be,” he explains. “I always knew I had potential, and now I am starting to show it.”
When Askren emerged victorious in the night’s main event, defeating Malaysia’s Agilan “Alligator” Thani, Kadestam knew he would eventually lock horns with the man called “Funky.”
Immediately after his bout, “The Bandit” went back to work. In the weeks immediately following his victory, he trained at least twice a day, focusing specifically on grappling.
Though Askren is undefeated in professional competition, Kadestam is undeterred. The challenger respects his 33-year-old rival’s accomplishments, but he sees a road to victory and the belt at the end of the path.
“He (Askren) is so good at what he does. It seems like some people are choosing to wrestle with him, but he has been wrestling his whole life. There is no way I will ever be a better wrestler than him. Even if I trained in just wrestling for 10 years, I cannot beat him at wrestling, so I am not going to,” Kadestam says.
“Martial arts is a big playing field. His weaknesses are his strengths, because he only relies on his wrestling and that one-two combination. I feel like he neglected his striking for too long, and that is where I am planning to take the advantage. I believe in my team, I am going to listen to my team, and we are going to get it done.”
