“I Took the Long Road Back to the World Title” – Zebaztian Kadestam Turns Back on the Road to His Pivotal Victory Over Roberto Soldic After a Comeback

Former ONE Welterweight World Champion Zebaztian “The Bandit” Kadestam scored his third straight knockout inside the ONE Championship Circle at ONE Fight Night 10 on May 5. And now, he is looking to reclaim his spot at the top of the division. The hard-hitting Swede shocked the world by stopping Croatian sensation Roberto “Robocop” Soldic in front of a raucous crowd inside Denver’s 1stBank Center at ONE’s first-ever live show in the United States. 

Speaking to the Singapore-based promotion after his second-round victory, “The Bandit” said the fight was as fun as he thought it would be. “I was excited when I got the fight, and I was excited in the fight,” he said. “I knew it would be a good, tough fight. I wanted to move around in the first round and feel him out a bit.”

Zebaztian Kadestam grew stronger as the bout progressed and finished Roberto Soldic

“Robocop” gave him all he could handle in the first round of their welterweight tie, displaying the world-class striking that has helped him claim 17 knockouts in 20 professional MMA wins. But, the tide turned quickly in the second frame after a well-timed elbow from Kadestam left Soldic visibly rocked.

Smelling blood in the water, the 32-year-old poured on the punches until the match was officially stopped at the 0:45 mark of the round.

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While some critics may call his elbow a lucky shot, the former divisional king asserts that it was a calculated move he had prepared in preparation for the much-anticipated matchup.

Zebaztian Kadestam’s brutal elbow move was a well-rehearsed one

“I worked on elbows the whole camp because I thought he was going to be in my space a lot, and I needed my privacy (laughs),” Kadestam said. “I saw a video on the way to the arena with a beautiful counter left elbow, and I told my coach, ‘This one is going to land. Look at this.”

After scoring his latest knockout – his 13th in 15 career wins – “The Bandit” believes he has proven, yet again, that he deserves a shot at the divisional throne. But he’s also enjoying his run of form and will take on whoever comes next inside the Circle. 

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“I’m not really sure what’s next,” Kadestam said. “I will fight anyone at any time, and I have proved that so many times. I took the long road back to the World Title.”