‘I Want To End This Fight Quickly’ – Prajanchai To Erase All Doubt In World Title Unification Rematch With Jonathan Di Bella
Two-sport titleholder Prajanchai PK Saenchai wants to leave no room for debate and cement his legacy as the undisputed ONE Strawweight Kickboxing World Champion.
The 30-year-old veteran will seek to unify the gold when he faces interim champion Jonathan Di Bella at ONE Fight Night 36: Prajanchai vs. Di Bella II on Prime Video.
Prajanchai captured the vacant gold at ONE Friday Fights 68 in June 2024, beating Di Bella by unanimous decision and handing the Canadian-Italian star the first loss of his career.
Now, the two are set to run it back as the Thai icon will look to put a stamp on their rivalry, live in U.S. primetime on Friday, October 3 from Bangkok, Thailand.
In their first meeting, Prajanchai systematically dismantled his rival over five rounds to claim the vacant throne and achieve historic two-sport glory.
Through extensive film study of that hard-fought victory, the 400-fight veteran has identified critical weaknesses in Di Bella that he plans to exploit to reach a more emphatic conclusion in their highly anticipated rematch.
The reigning strawweight Muay Thai and kickboxing king explained:
“When I watched the tapes from our last fight and talked to my head coach, he said it was better for me to walk forward. When he backs up, his offense isn’t effective. He doesn’t know how to fight while moving backwards.
“I don’t think he has much to offer besides his speed. His combination is just a one-two followed by a low kick or a one-two to the body blow. But in this fight, we don’t know what he’ll add. I’ve definitely added some new weapons.”
Despite the monumental achievement, Prajanchai wasn’t entirely satisfied with the closely contested result of their first encounter. Both fighters had their moments in a technical war, but the razor-thin margins left wiggle room for interpretation.
This time, the Bangkok native enters the bout with one mission: leave no doubt.
Prajanchai has kept his six-fight winning streak intact behind explosive performances over the last two years, showcasing his devastating efficiency, and proving his focus has never wavered.
Furthermore, his recent fourth-round TKO of Ellis “El Jefe” Badr Barboza at ONE Fight Night 28 earlier this year not only added to his highlight reel, it also sent a stern warning to Di Bella.
The PK Saenchai Muaythaigym product continued:
“My goal is simple. I want to keep this belt in Thailand for a long time. I want to end this fight quickly, either you or me. Let’s settle it.
“I want to trade with him. Whether it’s punches or anything else. My body feels like it can fight for 12 or 15 rounds right now. Five rounds are not enough.”
Di Bella, on the other hand, has bounced back impressively, capturing the interim strawweight kickboxing crown with a unanimous decision win over legendary Thai fighter Sam-A Gaiyanghadao at ONE 172 this past March.
But while the Canadian-Italian can’t wait to get his hands on his Thai counterpart, Prajanchai says he’s not going anywhere, and the 30-year-old plans on meeting his foe in the ring head-on.
In fact, he has even challenged Di Bella to a third match after this one, in “the art of eight limbs.” The two-sport king said:
“To Jonathan Di Bella, get ready for this fight. Don’t worry that I’ll get injured, get scared, or withdraw. I’m not running away from you.
“Kickboxing is a sport you’ve been doing since you were a kid. Maybe we can follow this with a Muay Thai fight to see who’s really better, the Italian or the Thai fighter.”
Prajanchai Ready For Di Bella’s Adjustments In Rematch
Although Prajanchai PK Saenchai claimed victory over Jonathan Di Bella in their first meeting, the Thai veteran expects his adversary to make important adjustments to his approach for this rematch.
Di Bella utilized his reach advantage and boxing combinations in that initial encounter, which gave Prajanchai some trouble in the early going.
But the crafty Thai turned the tide with combinations and devastating knee strikes, and by the championship rounds, Prajanchai’s confidence was unshakeable.
The two-sport kingpin reflected on his performance:
“In the first fight with Jonathan Di Bella, in rounds one and two, I couldn’t figure out his style yet. By the third round, I started to get a read on him, and the fight became easier because I knew what his dangerous weapons were.
“I won that fight thanks to my knees and kicks. If you go back and count the landed strikes, I don’t think I lost on points in kickboxing. I believe I landed more clean hits.”
The Thai superstar dismissed Di Bella’s volume striking, questioning whether those combinations created meaningful damage. For a veteran with over 400 battles on his resume, activity without impact means nothing.
As October 3 approaches, Prajanchai expects Di Bella to improve on the defensive end, but he remains confident in his victory:
“After the fight, Di Bella seemed unhappy with the judges’ decision. It’s his right to be unhappy, but for me, I think if you watch the replay and count the landed strikes, I didn’t lose because even though he was active, his strikes didn’t land cleanly or effectively.
“He’ll definitely work on his defense against the knees because I hit him with a lot of knees in our last fight. I’ll also have a plan to counter his strengths.”
