“I had to put a statement” - Jonathan Di Bella on why Rui Botelho match was crucial for his shot at kickboxing gold

June 28, 2024, was a night filled with frustration for Jonathan Di Bella as the title of ONE strawweight kickboxing world champion was snatched out of his hands by challenger Prajanchai.

It was Di Bella's first promotional loss, and it left him feeling like he had more to prove. The path was clear for the Italian-Canadian striker: bounce back strong and remind everyone why he is still a strong contender in the division.

Unfortunately for European Kickboxing Champion Rui Botelho, this meant his winning streak had turned him into a prime target for the fired-up Di Bella.

"I take every fight seriously and especially the last one was a big one for me because I came off a loss and I had to put a statement on a guy that was on a winning streak and I had to stop his winning streak," Di Bella said, reflecting on his win against Botelho.

That performance had put him back in the picture for a title shot. And now, at ONE 172: Takeru vs Rodtang, Jonathan Di Bella gets another shot at gold when he clashes against Sam-A Gaiyanghadao for the interim ONE strawweight kickboxing world title.

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“There’s still more” - Jonathan Di Bella says beating Sam-A at ONE 172 will be first step to become ONE Championship’s best striker

The loss against Prajanchai just doesn't sit right for Jonathan Di Bella. He made it clear that he felt he did enough to win that night - but the decision has been written in stone, and the frustration remains.

"There’s always going to be more," he told ONE Championship. "I feel like now, especially when I beat Sam-A, and because I believe I won the Prajanchai fight, I feel like I beat everybody. But there’s still more."

There is only one remedy to this - to prove himself once more and to take out whoever stands in his way.

ONE 172: Takeru vs Rodtang on March 23 is available via PPV on watch.onefc.com.