“A little bit of both” - Jonathan Di Bella wants to put on a proper showing against Rui Botelho at ONE Fight Night 26

Jonathan Di Bella knows he has to be in an almost perfect state when he takes on Rui Botelho in Bangkok. The former ONE strawweight kickboxing world champion will face Botelho in a pivotal matchup at the stacked ONE Fight Night 26 card on Dec. 6, US primetime, at the historic Lumpinee Stadium.

In an interview with Combat Sports Today, Di Bella said he shouldn't be focused on seeking a highlight reel knockout, and instead operate at his highest level to capture that crucial win.

While Di Bella didn't discount the possibility of a knockout, he's more focused on ticking off all the boxes in his game plan.

Jonathan Di Bella said:

"It’s a little bit of both, a little bit of both. But mostly, win. I would always love to give a good performance but certainly get the win for sure."

Di Bella is coming off the lone loss of his career when he relinquished the ONE strawweight kickboxing world title to Prajanchai PK Saenchai at ONE Friday Fights 68 this June.

The loss also snapped Di Bella's perfect 12-0 start to his career, but the Italian-Canadian star is determined to reclaim his lost throne. A win over Botelho could boost Di Bella's argument for a world title challenge against Prajanchai, who also holds the ONE strawweight Muay Thai world title.

ONE Fight Night 26 is available live and free to all Prime Video subscribers in the United States and Canada.

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Jonathan Di Bella adamant that he should've won over Prajanchai in Bangkok

Jonathan Di Bella has since moved on from his world title defeat to Prajanchai, but that doesn't mean he forgot how it all played out.

The match ended in a unanimous decision win for Prajanchai, but some of those who watched the fight believe that Di Bella should've retained the gold against the Thai superstar.

Di Bella shared that sentiment and said he was the rightful winner in the matchup.

He said in an interview with Sportskeeda MMA:

"It was a good experience. And yeah, I think I'm better at kickboxing than him. I believe I won the fight. And yeah, it was a close match, and it was a good experience."