"What a war!" - Fans catch their breath after Jonathan Di Bella and Sam-A's barnburner for interim kickboxing gold at ONE 172

Jonathan Di Bella stepped inside the Saitama Super Arena in Japan over the weekend with one mission — to claim the ONE interim strawweight kickboxing world championship.

And at ONE 172 last Sunday, March 23, Di Bella accomplished exactly that. However, victory didn't come easy, as he endured a grueling five-round war with the legendary Sam-A Gaiyanghadao to bring home 26 pounds of gold.

Check out Jonathan Di Bella's moment of triumph below:

Di Bella came out with relentless intensity, fully aware of the challenge Sam-A posed. From the opening bell, he set a blistering pace, targeting the Thai legend's legs to disrupt his rhythm and dictate the tempo.

As the bout progressed, the toll of Di Bella's all-out assault became evident on the former two-sport, two-division ONE world champion. The Italian-Canadian expertly mixed up his attacks, keeping his veteran opponent off balance with seamless combinations.

Though Sam-A had his moments, he struggled to match the speed and precision of his younger foe. In the end, Di Bella's dominant performance earned him a unanimous decision victory.

With this triumph, Di Bella improved his professional kickboxing record to 14-1.

Fans on social media applauded the newly-minted ONE interim kickboxing world champion for holding his ground against a revered but feared striker like Sam-A.

Check out fan comments below:

Comments from Instagram

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What's next for Jonathan Di Bella?

With a firm grip on a portion of the divisional throne, Jonathan Di Bella now sets his sights on a high-stakes unification clash against reigning ONE strawweight kickboxing world champion Prajanchai PK Saenchai later this year.

Both men are no strangers to each other as they initially clashed for the crown at ONE Friday Fights 68 in June 2024, with Prajanchai eking out a unanimous decision victory over Di Bella.

Prajanchai had a prime seat in the front row at ONE 172, where Di Bella wasted no time calling him out after having his raised against Sam-A Gaiyanghadao.