CV Stardom

For the second-straight time under the ONE Championship banner, Swedish mixed martial artist Zebaztian “The Bandit” Kadestam will be sitting in the blue corner, where underdogs or challengers are designated in a match. He is set to challenge ONE Welterweight World Champion Ben “Funky” Askren of the United States on September 2, 2017 at “ONE Championship: Shanghai” in Shanghai, China.

In May 2017, Kadestam made headlines when he defeated top welterweight contender Luis “Sapo” Santos of Brazil by way of third-round knockout at “ONE: Dynasty of Heroes” in Singapore. From the blue corner, Kadestam won his last cage outing, making a successful promotional debut.

“Blue is a lucky color for me this year,” Kadestam stated. “I have no problem if I will be in the blue or red corner.”

Kadestam’s astounding victory over Santos swiftly earned him a world title opportunity as he is set to lock horns with the toughest opponent of his professional career in Askren. For the Swedish MMA fighter, what matters right now is that he is vying for the world title, and he is going to “give everything to capture the belt.”

The incredible feat at “ONE: Dynasty of Heroes” was especially impressive because Kadestam had been completely dominated in the opening two rounds of the contest before pulling off a miraculous knockout in the final stanza. The little-known Swede turned the tide midway of the third round by sprawling a sluggish takedown attempt from the Brazilian, then reversed position, and hammered his opponent with strikes from side control.

A pair of hard knees put the finishing touches as the referee stepped in to call a halt to the contest at 2:18 of the third and final frame. Kadestam shared, “I do not think I have ever fought like that before.”

“I was waiting and waiting because I could feel his power, especially in the first two minutes,” Kadestam continued. “He had power in everything. He was fast in his hands and knees. My plan was to attack a lot more but I could also see him gas early.”