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From the moment Isi Fitikefu signed with ONE Championship, he had his sights set on the biggest names in the welterweight MMA division. One of them was former ONE welterweight MMA world champion Zebaztian Kadestam.
And now, he finally gets his shot.
“When I first signed with ONE Championship, I had a few people in my mind that I wanted to fight," Fitikefu told ONE Championship in an exclusive interview. "And Zebaztian Kadestam was one of them because I knew he was one of the good guys in the division. And I’m willing to go out there and beat this guy.”
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Fitikefu enters the fight with back-to-back wins after a narrow debut loss. In his most recent outing, he broke "Japanese Beast" Hiroyuki Tetsuka's five-fight win streak to prove that he deserves a chance against the division's top names.
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Kadestam, on the other hand, has bounced back from three consecutive losses with three straight finishes, including a knockout of 'Robocop' Roberto Soldic.
“It gives you butterflies in your stomach” - Isi Fitikefu excited to face former welterweight king Zebaztian Kadestam
The upcoming match against Zebaztian Kadestam is a chance for Isi Fitikefu to feed into his craving for a good challenge.
“He’s dangerous, and I like fights like that because it sort of excites me, makes you nervous but excited at the same time," he said. “Like, it gives you butterflies in your stomach because you know you’re gonna get the best. And when the test is higher, then you rise to the occasion as well.”
A win here could move Fitikefu closer to a long-awaited shot at the ONE welterweight MMA world championship.
ONE Fight Night 31 takes place May 2 in the iconic Lumpinee Stadium in Bangkok. Fans in Canada and North America can stream it live with an active Prime Video subscription.
