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Jonathan Di Bella thinks his speed and power were too much for Rui Botelho to handle.
The former ONE strawweight kickboxing king delivered a lights-out performance against Botelho at ONE Fight Night 26, dominating the Portuguese standout for three rounds and securing a decisive unanimous decision victory.
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Offering his take on their one-sided scrap, Di Bella believes Botelho simply didn't have an answer for his ultra-aggressive approach.
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"The game plan was to be extra aggressive today," Di Bella said in his ONE Fight Night 26 post-fight interview. "But he was running a little bit like he was not engaging in the fight. I think he felt it. He didn't want to engage with my speed and power. So he was not engaging. So that's why he was backing up."
After coming up short for the first time in his career against Prajanchai PK Saenchai, Di Bella bounced back in a big way against Botelho and potentially set the stage for a rematch with the two-sport titleholder.
Jonathan Di Bella eyes rematch with Prajanchai after ONE Fight Night 26 victory
It's been a tough 2024 for Jonathan Di Bella. After losing his title on the scale in April, the Canadian-Italian saw his undefeated record slip away, courtesy of the current ONE strawweight kickboxing and Muay Thai world champion, Prajanchai.
With his win over Botelho, Di Bella hopes to have earned an opportunity to run it back with the Thai superstar.
"It's hard to say because it's always going to be a competitive match," Di Bella said when asked how he sees a potential rematch with Prajanchai playing out. "When you're at the high level, it's always going to be a competitive match, and anything can happen."
Rewatch Di Bella and Prajanchai's five-round scrap, here:
Has Di Bella done enough to justify scoring another crack against Prajanchai, or does he have more work to do?
If you missed any of the action, ONE Championship fans in the United States and Canada can watch the ONE Fight Night 26 replay on demand via Amazon Prime Video.
