“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

Jonathan Di Bella knows that winning a world championship is just a step toward becoming the greatest, and he believes his next assignment could significantly enhance his growing legacy.

The Italian-Canadian star will take on the legendary Sam-A Gaiyanghadao for the ONE interim strawweight kickboxing world title at the stacked ONE 172: Takeru vs. Rodtang card on Sunday at the historic Saitama Super Arena.

In an interview with Combat Sports Today, Di Bella said he has a ton of work to do before he can be called the greatest of his generation, and a win over Sam-A would certainly help his case.

Jonathan Di Bella also took a jab at the tight decision loss he suffered against Prajanchai PK Saenchai when they squared off for the ONE strawweight kickboxing world title at ONE Friday Fights 68.

"There’s always going to be more. 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."

Sam-A is widely regarded as one of the greatest Muay Thai artists of all time with multiple world titles across different organizations.

The Thai legend was a multi-time Lumpinee Stadium and WBC Muay Thai world champion before he arrived at ONE Championship in 2018.

Sam-A ultimately captured the ONE flyweight Muay Thai, strawweight Muay Thai, and strawweight kickboxing world titles before his initial retirement in 2021.

Di Bella, meanwhile, captured the then-vacant ONE strawweight kickboxing world title in his promotional debut when he outclassed Zhang Peimian at ONE 162.

After a successful defense over three-sport phenom Danial Williams, Di Bella was stripped of the gold after falling ill and failing hydration for his supposed world title defense against Prajanchai.

Di Bella ultimately fell short in his match against Prajanchai for the ONE strawweight kickboxing world title but recovered with a masterclass against Rui Botelho at ONE Fight Night 26.

ONE 172 is available live on pay-per-view at watch.onefc.com.

Watch Jonathan Di Bella's entire interview below:

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Jonathan Di Bella thrilled to fight in Japan for the first time in his career

Jonathan Di Bella is hyped to face off against Sam-A in his first fight on Japanese soil.

In an interview with ONE Championship, Di Bella said he's excited to fight in a nation that spawned multiple martial arts disciplines.

"It’s one of my favorite places to visit. Kickboxing is one of the main aspects of it, plus my dad’s background was in Kyokushin Karate, which is Japanese. That's one of our backgrounds."