"Prove a statement" - Jonathan Di Bella says his interim world title win over Sam-A marked a crucial turn in his career

Jonathan Di Bella was ecstatic to capture the ONE interim strawweight kickboxing world championship against the iconic Sam-A Gaiyanghadao at ONE 172 last Sunday via unanimous decision.

Di Bella outpointed Sam-A using his blinding speed and combinations in front of the packed Saitama Super Arena in Japan.

During the post-event press conference, Jonathan Di Bella revealed the importance of this win over Sam-A by saying:

"Tonight for me, I fought a legend in Sam-A, he's on a two-fight crazy winning streak. He fought two top guys, and it meant a lot for me to prove a statement and get the job done."

Watch the full ONE 172 post-event press conference here:

This marked the Canadian-Italian striking maestro's fourth triumph under the world's largest martial arts organization and ultimately booked him a world title unification match against reigning divisional king Prajanchai PK Saenchai.

Jonathan Di Bella now has the opportunity to reclaim his throne and avenge his previous loss to Prajanchai in June 2024 at ONE Friday Fights 68.

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Jonathan Di Bella dreams of fighting in Madison Square Garden under ONE Championship

ONE Championship has been to the US in the past three years, and Di Bella hasn't fought on those cards, which is why he dreams of becoming a part of one of the future events of the promotion in the country.

The Team Di Bella Kickboxing representative has also identified his dream venue for it, as he told Combat Sports Today in a recent interview:

"Yeah, my goal for sure is to fight in the United States. The States is my second home - I grew up fighting in New York. Hopefully, one day, ONE Championship will come to Madison Square Garden. That's my second dream of venues - to come back and fight in the big room in MSG, that will be cool."

Fans can rewatch all the action from the ONE 172: Takeru vs. Rodtang card via watch.onefc.com.