![Jonathan Di Bella (left) and Sam-A (right). [Photos from ONE Championship]](https://staticg.sportskeeda.com/editor/2025/03/f190a-17416998374765-1920.jpg)
![Jonathan Di Bella (left) and Sam-A (right). [Photos from ONE Championship]](data:image/svg+xml;charset=utf-8,%3Csvg%20xmlns='http%3A//www.w3.org/2000/svg'%20xmlns%3Axlink='http%3A//www.w3.org/1999/xlink'%20viewBox='0%200%2010%206.6666666666667'%3E%3Cfilter%20id='b'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20color-interpolation-filters='sRGB'%3E%3CfeGaussianBlur%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20stdDeviation='.5'%3E%3C/feGaussianBlur%3E%3CfeComponentTransfer%3E%3CfeFuncA%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20type='discrete'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20tableValues='1%201'%3E%3C/feFuncA%3E%3C/feComponentTransfer%3E%3C/filter%3E%3Cimage%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20filter='url(%23b)'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,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'%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
Former world champions Jonathan Di Bella and Sam-A Gaiyanghadao haven't faced off yet, but their ONE Championship careers are already intertwined. Di Bella and Sam-A will face off for the ONE interim strawweight kickboxing world title at the stacked ONE 172: Takeru vs. Rodtang card on March 23 at the historic Saitama Super Arena.
In an interview with ONE Championship, Di Bella said he always wanted to fight against Sam-A even before signing with the promotion. The Italian-Canadian thought he was finally getting the shot at his sporting hero, but Sam-A decided to retire when Di Bella signed the dotted line.
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Jonathan Di Bella said:
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"When I signed to ONE Championship, he was the champion at the time. I was looking forward to getting fights and working my way up to fight him eventually, but then he retired."
Di Bella ended up fighting Zhang Peimian for the vacant ONE strawweight kickboxing world title, the throne Sam-A vacated, in his ONE Championship debut at ONE 162 in Kuala Lumpur.
Sam-A, however, returned to active competition in 2023 and quickly re-established his presence in ONE Championship.
The former ONE flyweight Muay Thai, strawweight Muay Thai, and strawweight kickboxing world champion is coming off a strong unanimous decision win over Zhang in his previous match at ONE 169 in November 2024.
Di Bella, meanwhile, heads to Japan following a thorough beatdown of Portuguese star Rui Botelho at ONE Fight Night 26 in December 2024.
ONE 172 is available live on pay-per-view at watch.onefc.com.
Jonathan Di Bella admits Sam-A is his dream opponent
Jonathan Di Bella has always been nonchalant when it's time to face off against his opponents, but Sam-A Gaiyanghadao is no ordinary foe.
In an interview with the Story of the Fight podcast, Di Bella admitted that Sam-A has always been an inspiration in his kickboxing career. Di Bella said Sam-A will always be his dream opponent, and he could fulfill that wish when ONE Championship returns to Japan on March 23.
He said:
"The answer to [the] question, I got asked the other day, and I still didn't answer it. But right, you know, what a dream fight of mine is Sam-A. Sam-A is this dream fight of mine."
