‘Not Going To Make This A Close Fight’ – Jonathan Di Bella Plans To Dominate Prajanchai in ONE Fight Night 36 Rematch

The flames of vengeance burn brighter than ever for ONE Interim Strawweight Kickboxing World Champion Jonathan Di Bella, who is set for a highly anticipated rematch against the only man to beat him in the main event of ONE Fight Night 36: Prajanchai vs. Di Bella II on Prime Video.

Next Friday, October 3, live in U.S. primetime from Bangkok, Thailand, Di Bella squares off against two-sport ONE World Champion Prajanchai PK Saenchai in a ONE Strawweight Kickboxing World Title unification bout.

The Canadian-Italian slugger punched his ticket to a rematch with Prajanchai by claiming the interim gold against living legend Sam-A Gaiyanghadao at ONE 172 this past March.

Now, returning to the same venue where his once pristine 12-0 record was sullied, the 29-year-old is determined to right his wrongs against the Thai dynamo and walk away as the undisputed king of the division.

The defeat to Prajanchai still stings because Di Bella genuinely believes he did more than enough to get his hand raised after their grueling five-round battle in June 2024:

“I feel like I won the fight. After the bell rang, I thought I had won. I know I did more damage. I know I hit him with some hard shots and hurt him. But I know he didn’t hurt me.

“I feel like the first two rounds were all going my way. I feel like I won the first two rounds, and the last two, it kind of feels like he stole the last two rounds. But yeah, the fight was great. It was a great experience.”

To ensure he stands a better chance at victory this time around, Di Bella has gone full throttle in fight camp under the tutelage of his father, former multi-time kickboxing World Champion Angelo Di Bella, at their home base in Montreal, Canada. 

The interim titleholder even spent a couple of sessions leveling up his game alongside ONE Lightweight Muay Thai World Champion Regian “The Immortal” Eersel.

He told onefc.com:

“This training camp has been hard. My dad’s been putting me through a hard training session. He’s been getting me hard sparring partners, like [Regian] Eersel, and other bigger and stronger pro boxers as well.

“We have kickboxers and boxers training with us in New York and in Montreal, both places. It’s been a hard training camp. Even my running, cardio, and fitness have been on another level. We’ve been pushing it on another level.”

Di Bella has been fixated on booking the Prajanchai rematch since his first encounter with the Thai star. Now that he finally has it, the Canadian-Italian is determined to achieve victory no matter the cost.

Regardless of how the fight unfolds inside the Thai capital next Friday, Di Bella plans on beating the reigning ONE Strawweight Kickboxing and Muay Thai World Champion at every juncture to leave no doubt and unify the 26 pounds of gold.

Above all, he is out to prove that true World Champions are forged in the crucible of adversity:

“This fight can end any second, or it can end up going the five rounds, especially against Prajanchai. I know I’m going to win because I’m not going to make this a close fight. And that’s all. I’m going to leave it at that.”

Di Bella Talks Prajanchai’s Strengths, Potential Trilogy

Jonathan Di Bella has spent countless hours studying his first loss to Prajanchai PK Saenchai at ONE Friday Fights 68 last year.

Through meticulous analysis, the Montreal-based warrior has gained a deeper appreciation for what makes the two-sport king one of the most feared strawweights in the world today.

He shared:

“He has a strong IQ in the ring. He knows how to score points and dictate the advantage of the crowd, and he knows how to dictate his own pace. He’s very, very smart, but not the strongest fighter I’ve been in there with.

“His brain is the most strongest weapon, for sure. But, also, he has fast hands and fast kicks. So, I’ve got to be prepared for that as well.”

Di Bella’s signature style and tactical superiority has become the foundation for this sequel, and the 29-year old is confident that he will once again be crowned the undisputed ONE Strawweight Kickboxing World Champion at the sound of the final bell.

However, the Team Di Bella Kickboxing product doesn’t see his rivalry with the Thai ending there. He is open to facing Prajanchai in a trilogy match, but with one caveat.

Di Bella wants a chance to dethrone the PK Saenchai Muaythaigym athlete from his Muay Thai throne to complete his dream of becoming a two-sport World Champion on martial arts’ greatest platform:

“I’m interested in Muay Thai. I really want to do it. I want to do it right away, in fact. If they’re okay with it.

“But, for now, I just want to focus on winning the belt back in kickboxing, then we can talk about Muay Thai. Yeah, 100 percent.”