Jonathan Di Bella was all set to defend the ONE Strawweight Kickboxing World Championship against Prajanchai PK Saenchai last April at ONE Friday Fights 56 until a bout of illness caused him to pull out of the match and lose the belt.
The Canadian-Italian striker is busy preparing for his rescheduled meeting with strawweight Muay Thai king Prajanchai, who he’ll battle for the vacant strawweight kickboxing crown in the main event of ONE Friday Fights 68 on Friday, 28th June, inside Bangkok, Thailand’s Lumpinee Boxing Stadium, but he took time out to discuss what happened last time around.
Di Bella recalls feeling unwell in the lead-up to his second World Title defense, but he attempted to put it to the side. Unfortunately, it led to him missing weight and failing hydration, meaning he was also stripped of the gold.
“I went to do the face-off because I was hoping that the fight was still going on. I was going to the hospital, and I thought maybe they could give me something to make me feel better,” he said.
“I remember facing off, and I was holding in my puke. I was about to throw up on him. I’m like, ‘Don’t throw up on him. This thing’s going viral if I puke!’
“So we went to the hospital, I threw up, they put me back on the bed, they put IVs in me, and I woke up in my hotel room the next day. I don’t remember what happened. I was still not feeling well. But then I started realizing I had lost my belt, and I couldn’t believe this had happened. As soon as I found out, it was heartbreaking.”
The unbeaten 27-year-old is now back to fighting health and is putting all the complications of April 2023 behind him to focus on the road ahead.
Di Bella made his first successful defense of the ONE Strawweight Kickboxing World Title against Danial Williams inside Bangkok, Thailand’s Lumpinee Boxing Stadium, at ONE Fight Night 15 last October, so he’s familiar with the setting.
However, last time around, he was cheered on as a World Champion by the Thai crowd, whereas this time, the script will be flipped.
Fighting a hometown hero in Prajanchai puts him somewhat on the back foot in terms of support, but that’s where Di Bella wants to be.
“I have a champion’s mindset, but now I’m the underdog, so I feel even more focused. I want to win every fight. But especially now that I don’t have the belt anymore. I want to bring it back for my family. That’s my motivation,” he divulged.
“Fighting in his hometown in front of his family, his people, I feel like it’s a Rocky vs. Drago type of story. I’m going in there with a Rocky mentality and getting my belt back.”
