Jonathan Di Bella, an Italian-Canadian who holds the title of world champion in kickboxing, has stated that he wants to first cement his position as the best in kickboxing before considering a move to mixed martial arts or Muay Thai.
This was made very obvious by the current ONE strawweight kickboxing world champion following his first successful defense of his world title, which took place a week ago at ONE Fight Night 15 on Prime Video in Bangkok.
The five-round title fight between Jonathan Di Bella and Australian firebrand Daniel Williams, which took place at the Lumpinee Boxing Stadium, was won by Di Bella, who was able to overpower his opponent. With a victory determined by a unanimous vote, the 27-year-old champion kept his position as the best in his division, so preserving the status quo.
When asked during the post-event interview session if he would consider competing in an MMA or Muay Thai battle in the near future, he responded that it is doubtful at the time because his only aim is to become one of the best, if not the greatest, pound-for-pound kickboxers in the game: he is looking to become the best pound-for-pound kickboxer in the game.
“Perhaps, you’re right. I was considering it at the time. Nevertheless, my objective is to become one of the best pound-for-pound kickboxers there has ever been.
Check out the interview that was just posted:
During ONE Fight Night 15, Jonathan Di Bella didn’t waste any time in letting everyone know what he planned to do. He absolutely killed ‘Mini T’ with telling hits, one of which was an early powerful head kick. As the bout went on, the defending champion showed off his sharp boxing skills, which were quite helpful in helping him counter the leg kicks that the challenger was throwing.
Williams attempted to engage Di Bella in a slugfest during the championship round, but Di Bella displayed discipline and chose to play it smart by picking his areas and timing his combinations. Williams was ultimately unsuccessful.
The victory brought Jonathan Di Bella’s record in kickboxing to 12-0, with the most recent two being in the ONE Championship. In his promotional debut in October 2022, he defeated the Chinese phenom Zhang Peimian by way of unanimous decision, which enabled him to earn the title of ONE Strawweight Kickboxing World Champion.
After falling short in his attempt to win the gold in the flyweight kickboxing division back in March against the current title holder Superlek Kiatmoo9, Williams was sent to his second consecutive defeat in a bout for a world title.
On the official ONE Championship YouTube page, you can watch the replay of ONE Fight Night 15.
