Former ONE welterweight world champion Zebaztian Kadestam (14-7) has drawn a big name for ONE Championship’s U.S. debut on May 5, and he plans to make the most of the opportunity.
“The Bandit” will face Croatian superstar Roberto Soldic (20-3) at “ONE Fight Night 10: Johnson vs. Moraes III” on Prime Video.
When Kadestam makes the walk to the ONE circle at the sold-out 1STBANK Center in Colorado, he’ll be hot on the heels of a two-fight winning streak, both of which were thrilling first-round knockouts.
His return to form in 2022 snapped the only skid of his MMA career, capped by a unanimous decision loss at the hands of undefeated Russian grappler Murad Ramazanov in December 2021.
The turnaround in fortune, he says, comes down to a newfound happiness in his life outside of fighting.
“Since the Ramazanov fight, I’ve been in a much better place in life, in general, and it shows when I’m fighting. When I’m happy outside, I’m happy inside the cage, and it shows,” he said.
“The last two (wins) really are a showcase of what happens when I’m doing what I love to do, and I’m still there in the same space now.”
In Soldic, however, Kadestam faces one of the most highly touted opponents of his 21-fight career.
And the hype is real.
“Robocop” is a former two-division KSW Champion and prior to an unfortunate no contest in his ONE debut, he was riding an incredible seven-fight winning streak with six knockouts.
The 32-year-old Kadestam knows that the challenge ahead of him is a high-risk, high-reward proposition. Those stakes have lit a fire under the Swedish knockout artist.
“Man, after I beat this guy, I’m back on top. I don’t care about any title. We will see what happens next, but this is the biggest fight of my career, for sure, and I’m coming for everything,” he said.
“To be honest, I haven’t been this motivated since I fought Tyler McGuire for the title.”
Kadestam reigned over the welterweight division for almost a year between 2018 and 2019.
While the Stockholm native is not concerning himself with the belt itself, his ascension up the rankings will unlock opportunities to face the top talent in his division.
A win over Soldic on the biggest stage of all at ONE Fight Night 10 would no doubt provide Kadestam with more of the big challenges that he craves.
“This is what I wanted to do all along, I want to chase greatness. I’m not saying anyone I fought has been a bad fighter, but if I beat this guy, I’m right up there. It’s a big step, and that’s what this game is about,” he added.
“You fight the best to be the best. That’s what it’s always about. It’s not about having win streaks or being unbeaten or other things. You fight the best, you beat the best, you be the best. That’s it.”
