“We work every day” - Jonathan Di Bella feels a world title win will reward all the work he and his dad have done

ONE kickboxing star Jonathan Di Bella owes everything to his father, Angelo Di Bella, who has supported him every step of the way throughout his fighting career.

On October 21, in the main event of ONE 161: Zhang vs. Di Bella at Axiata Arena in Kuala Lumpur, the Italian-Canadian fighter plans to showcase his gratitude in the best way possible. Di Bella has his sights on winning the vacant ONE strawweight kickboxing world title at the expense of ‘The Fighting Rooster’ Zhang Peimian.

The 26-year-old does have a tough task at hand, considering this will be his first official fight inside the circle, against a formidable opponent, no less. However, Di Bella believes that this moment will be the culmination of decades of hard work behind the scenes. As such, he won’t let the opportunity slip away easily.

In an interview SCMP MMA’s Tom Taylor, Jonathan Di Bella talked about how the gold strap would be vindication for the hardships he has faced throughout his career. He shared:

“It’s going to feel good. It’s going to mean the world to me. Me and my dad, we’ve been working hard. Nobody knows how hard we work. We work every day. He takes me to spar everywhere. We trained with high-level guys and put in hard work so it’s going to feel really good.”

Di Bella, a former ISKA world champion, started training in kickboxing when he was just two years old. His father fought professionally as well and had his son competing in amateur fights by the time he was 10. The pair have been inseparable since.

Now just days away from the biggest fight of his life, Di Bella detailed what winning the world title would mean for his doting old man.

“He’s going to be really happy. He started me out when I was two, we never left each other and we always stuck together.”

Watch the full interview below:

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Jonathan Di Bella will not chase the knockout against Zhang Peimian

Jonathan Di Bella understands the dangers that Zhang Peimian possesses, particularly with his aggressive fighting style.

While the 26-year-old believes he can stand toe-to-toe against the Chinese wrecking machine, he won’t be lured into a slugfest.

Instead, the veteran striker will fight at his own pace and let the finish come to him naturally. He shared in the same interview with SMCP MMA:

“We’ll see on fight night. Can’t wait. Just fight, like what I usually do. Let everything happen. I’m not looking for anything, not looking for knockouts. I’m just going to fight.”

Moreover, Jonathan Di Bella said he has prepared for Zhang’s diverse arsenal and will be ready for whatever his opponent throws at him.

“You have to be prepared for anything in a fight. You can’t prepare for just one thing, you have to be ready for multiple things.”