“He’s been waiting patiently” - Christian Lee says former welterweight champ Zebaztian Kadestam deserves a shot at throne

Christian Lee believes his next fight will be against Zebaztian Kadestam.

Lee, a two-sport MMA world champion in ONE Championship, made his highly anticipated return in December 2024. The 26-year-old was previously sidelined for two years to recover from the tragic passing of his younger sister, Victoria Lee.

Lee's return, a lightweight title defense against Alibeg Rasulov, didn't go as planned. The bout ended with a no-contest because Lee landed an eye poke.

'The Warrior' doesn't plan on booking an immediate rematch against Rasulov. Instead, he is eyeing a welterweight title defense next time out.

Get the latest updates on One Championship Rankings at Sportskeeda and more

During an interview with the South China Morning Post (SCMP), Lee had this to say about Zebaztian Kadestam deserving the next welterweight title shot:

"I think so. He’s been waiting patiently. I don’t know when he’s fighting next but I’m planning to defend my welterweight belt and if he wants to step up - and I’m sure that he would - then I think that fight will be the next one."

Christian Lee's interview with SCMP took place at ONE 172. The two-sport world champion was at the event to corner his younger brother, Adrian Lee, a 19-year-old lightweight MMA phenom.

The youngest Lee sibling extended his ONE Championship record to 3-0 at ONE 172, earning his third consecutive submission and $50,000 performance bonus.

Watch Christian Lee's entire interview with the South China Morning Post below:

Zebaztian Kadestam's bounce-back run created opportunity to fight Christian Lee

Zebaztian Kadestam is a former ONE welterweight MMA world champion with a promotional record of 7-4, all wins by KO/TKO.

Between 2019 and 2021, Kadestam endured a rough patch in his fighting career, suffering three consecutive losses against Kiamrian Abbasov, Gadzhimurad Abdulaev, and Murad Ramazanov.

Kadestam bounced back in 2022 with back-to-back first-round knockout wins against Valmir Da Silva and Iuri Lapicus.

In May 2023, 'The Bandit' solidified himself as the number one welterweight contender with a highlight-reel knockout against Roberto Soldic.

Soldic has since bounced back with a violent first-round knockout win against Dagi Arslanaliev, putting him back into the welterweight title picture.

Watch Kadestam's knockout win against Soldic below:

About the author

Jake Foley is a journalist at Sportskeeda, specializing in covering all forms of combat sports, including MMA, Boxing, Kickboxing, and Muay Thai. His passion is ignited by the exceptional fusion of physical and mental skills demanded by world-class fighters in these sports. Jake is captivated by the intricate mix of fierce determination and a modest mindset exhibited by athletes in these disciplines. He also finds the atmosphere of major championships, like the epic clash between Khabib Nurmagomedov and Conor McGregor, truly unparalleled.

Jake has earned his UFC credentials to cover the major events for Sportskeeda and has conducted several interviews.

Jake supports various teams across several professional sports, including the Las Vegas Raiders, Inter Miami, Norwich City, Miami Marlins, and Las Vegas Golden Knights. The sports moment Jake will never forget is Jon Jones dismantling Vladimir Matyushenko.

Since joining the SportsKeeda team, Jake has written 400 articles covering several MMA promotions, including the UFC and ONE Championship. He continues to work hard to maintain his journalistic integrity and tell the stories of fighters worldwide.

Know More

Follow One Championship News, Schedule & Results at Sportskeeda.

Edited by Tejas Rathi