ONE Championship: Isi Fitikefu embraces underdog role for Zebaztian Kadestam war at ONE Fight Night 31: "That's good for me"

Australian-Tongan MMA contender Isi Fitikefu thinks fans underestimate his chances in his upcoming fight against former ONE welterweight MMA world champion Zebaztian Kadestam on May 2 at ONE Fight Night 31.

Fitikefu, though, doesn't mind this underdog role that they are tagging him because he still believes that he has the tools to get his hands raised against Kadestam.

Isi Fitikefu told Nick Atkin of the Bangkok Post in a recent interview:

"I know a lot of people are looking down on me, but that's good for me. Better for me. I've always had that kind of mentality, underdog mentality. But man, really, I'm not right now."

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Check out Isi Fitikefu's interview below:

'Doxz' will have all the confidence in the world heading into the match because of his current two-fight win streak from his victories against Valmir Da Silva in April 2023 at ONE Fight Night 9 and Hiroyuki Testsuka in September 2024 at ONE 168: Denver. He now aims to extend this streak to three and potentially move closer toward a shot at the coveted 26-pound golden belt.

Isi Fitikefu reveals his love for coaching outside of being a professional MMA fighter

The Gracie Jiu-Jitsu Smeaton Grange-affiliated athlete revealed his passion for coaching and how his kids keep him busy outside the circle whenever he is not competing.

According to the 32-year-old athlete, he sees himself more as a tactician than a fighter.

Fitikefu shared this during his recent interview with the world's largest martial arts organization, where he stated:

"My family's been keeping me busy. My kids. Being a coach - besides being a fighter, I'm a coach. I probably coach more than I fight."

North American viewers with an active Prime Video subscription can watch all the action at ONE Fight Night 31 on May 2, which will take place inside the Lumpinee Stadium in Bangkok, Thailand.

About the author

Anatoly is an MMA writer with six years of experience. He covers ONE Championship at Sportskeeda, where he has contributed over 1000 pieces. He previously served as the lead MMA writer for BetMGM’s blog.

Anatoly holds a bachelor's degree in communication, which he feels has had a significant impact on his career.

Jon Jones’ submission win over Lyoto Machida at UFC 140 in 2011 got him hooked to MMA. His favorite fighters include Eduard Folayang, Demetrious Johnson, Georges St-Pierre, Anderson Silva, and Khabib Nurmagomedov.

Anatoly provides Sportskeeda with exclusive pieces and has previously interviewed the former ONE flyweight MMA world champion, Adriano Moraes. While writing his pieces, he follows an extensive research process, referring only to credible sources like the UFC’s official website, Sherdog, and ESPN. He also likes to provide insights to his readers by keeping in mind important pillars of communication like media literacy and audience dynamics.

Anatoly advocates for a healthy and fit lifestyle by including boxing in his routine. He also loves to travel.

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Edited by Jigyanshushri Mahanta