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Former ONE strawweight kickboxing world champion Jonathan Di Bella is opening up about his decision to withdraw from ONE Friday Fights 58 in April. Di Bella was scheduled to defend his gold against Prajanchai PK Saenchai.
Sadly, the bout fell apart on the scale after the Italian-Canadian standout failed to pass hydration tests. Electing to bow out of the bout after the weigh-ins, Di Bella was stripped of the strap, leaving the strawweight kickboxing crown vacant.
During an interview with Calf Kick Sports, Jonathan Di Bella revealed that he had been fighting an illness for two weeks and was unable to reach 100 percent before fight night.
"Yeah I'm fully recovered," Di Bella said. 'For that fight, I was sick two weeks before I was leaving for Thailand. I was a bit sick. I didn't feel many symptoms, but I knew I wasn't at my best. Then, when we were about to leave. I was starting to feel better, everything was going good during the fight week."
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He added:
"But as soon as I made weight the night before, I wasn't feeling well. I was bad. I felt the symptoms of my sickness before was coming up. I was dehydrated. I was like down just fighting the sickness really."
Jonathan Di Bella looks to reclaim gold at ONE Friday Fights 68 against Prajanchai
Though he lost the strawweight title in a way that no fighter ever wants to, he'll have the chance to redeem himself and take it all back on Friday, June 28 when ONE Championship heads back to the legendary Lumpinee Boxing Stadium for ONE Friday Fights 68.
In the main event of the evening, Di Bella will go toe-to-toe with reigning ONE strawweight Muay Thai world champion—the winner leaving The Land of Smiles with the kickboxing belt.
Sitting on a three-fight win streak, Prajanchai is coming off a big 88-second knockout of Joseph Lasiri to reclaim the Muay Thai strap at ONE Friday Fights 46 in December.
Will Prajanchai add another world title to his collection, or will Jonathan Di Bella reclaim the title he never lost?
ONE Championship will present ONE Friday Fights 68 live from the Lumpinee Boxing Stadium in Bangkok, Thailand on Friday, June 28.
