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ONE Championship Chairman and CEO Chatri Sityodtong wanted to see more of a killer instinct out of Jonathan Di Bella at ONE 172.
Di Bella delivered another dominant performance in one of the evening's four world title tilts, defeating Thai legend Sam-A Gaiyanghadao via unanimous decision to claim the ONE interim strawweight kickboxing world championship.
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However, not everyone was impressed with the performance.
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Speaking at the ONE 172 post-fight press conference, Sityodtong vented his frustration with Di Bella's lack of finishes in ONE, noting that the Canadian-Italian could have put Sam-A away inside the distance had he been a little more equipped to do so:
"I love Jonathan. Definitely. He's one of the greatest pound-for-pound strikers on the planet. But I'm always puzzled when he can't finish anybody. So this is my feedback to him, please show me some finishes, you know, and then he's gonna be the biggest star in the world. I think, sorry, you know I love you, you're an incredible striker".
"But I thought he could have finished Sam-A in the second round, first or second round he could have finished it. If he had the killer instinct, he could have finished the fight."
Jonathan Di Bella revealed the struggle of fighting an opponent he idolized
Shortly after strapping 26 pounds of gold around his waist once again, Jonathan Di Bella was met in the middle of the ring by long-time color commentator Mitch Chilson to discuss his victory.
It was then that Di Bella revealed his struggle with taking out a legendary fighter whom he looked up to:
"Man, fighting a legend like that was hard. He’s one of my favorite fighters so it was kinda hard fighting him. But you know, when you step in the ring, it’s all business, and I gotta put that aside."
Perhaps that is why Di Bella didn't go for the kill during their five-round clash inside the Saitama Super Arena.
But if Di Bella hopes to turn his interim title into undisputed gold against reigning two-sport world champion Prajanchai, he's gonna have to come out guns blazing and show everyone that not only can he win, but he can finish.
If you missed any of the action, you can watch the full ONE 172: Takeru vs. Rodtang replay on demand via watch.onefc.com.
