ONE Welterweight World Champion Zebaztian “The Bandit” Kadestam defends his gold against Kiamrian “Brazen” Abbasov at ONE: DAWN OF VALOR in Jakarta, Indonesia this Friday, 25 October.
The Swede retained his World Title in March at ONE: REIGN OF VALOR with an impressive victory over Georgiy “Knight” Kichigin.
Not only did Kadestam snap Kichigin’s 14-bout win streak, but he dominated his Kazakh opponent and forced him to quit after two rounds to earn the stoppage win.
Although “The Bandit” could have faced any number of challengers at this point, Abbasov moved to the front of the line thanks to his recent performances.
But Kadestam is determined to keep the gold around his waist at any cost.
“Now that I’m World Champion, I feel I have to push a little bit harder because I know all these guys are coming for me,” he said.
“Nobody’s going to come and steal something from me, so in every [training] session, there is a little bit more fire inside of me.”
His Russian adversary is not to be underestimated. Abbasov earned his World Title shot after an impressive streak in The Home Of Martial Arts.
The Novorossiysk native submitted Agilan “Alligator” Thani in the first round of their welterweight clash at ONE: DESTINY OF CHAMPIONS in December.
Then he stopped Japanese icon Yushin “Thunder” Okami by TKO in May, earning his right to challenge Kadestam for the gold.
“The Bandit” witnessed Abassov’s ascent through the division and knows his rival will pose a tough challenge.
“I see he has good pressure. He’s well-rounded. He’s a strong fighter. I don’t see him as having a big weakness,” Kadestam said.
Abbasov has won nearly half of his career victories by knockout, but Kadestam has earned over 80 percent of his wins the same way.
Wherever the action goes, the ONE Welterweight World Champion is well-prepared. He is, however, hoping for a slugfest.
“What I like is that he goes forward, and he mixes it up well. I hope he will stand with me, but I’m ready for everything,” he said.
The 29-year-old believes he has the advantage over “Brazen” heading into their contest in Jakarta and promises to put away his foe to end all doubt over who is the better man.
“I see this bout as a war. I think it’s going to take a few rounds, and then it’s going to end with a KO. We will see on 25 October.”
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Two World Title Bouts Booked For ONE: DAWN OF VALOR In Jakarta
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