“A big part of my heart is in New York” – Jonathan Di Bella opens up on being New York’s adopted son

ONE strawweight kickboxing world champion Jonathan Di Bella is extremely proud of his Canadian and Italian roots.

Aside from representing his cultural heritage to the rest of the world, Di Bella admits he also has a soft spot for America and New York City in particular.

In an interview with ONE Championship, the 27-year-old talked about his affinity for the big apple, which he considers his home away from home:

“It means a lot to come from there and represent them as well. I feel like they adopted me. I feel like a big part of my heart is in New York, for sure.”

The hustle and bustle of New York is indeed something to behold, so we understand Di Bella’s fascination for one of America’s most beloved cities.

In the same interview, Di Bella also discussed Lower Manhattan’s large Italian population, which further ignites his affinity for the place.

While he enjoys the sights and sounds of the city each time he’s there, it’s not like he’s just a tourist either.

Di Bella made his professional debut in New York in 2016 and has continued to train in gyms in the area ever since.

Accompanied by his dad, the Team Di Bella Kickboxing stud loves to bounce around New York gyms, which has helped him develop his extremely well-rounded fighting style.

Di Bella will once again rely on that versatility in his quest to retain his title.

He’ll be defending his strawweight kickboxing strap for the first time against Danial Williams at ONE Fight Night 15: Tawanchai vs. Superbon on Prime Video on October 6.

The entire event will broadcast from the Lumpinee Stadium in Bangkok free of charge for Prime Video subscribers in North America.