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One day, reigning ONE strawweight kickboxing world champion Jonathan Di Bella hopes to be the undisputed face of the sport.
But right now, the Canadian-Italian titleholder can’t deny that featherweight titan Chingiz Allazov is the top dog in the world of kickboxing.
Allazov kicked off his 2023 with a vicious second-round knockout of Superbon Singha Mawynn to claim the featherweight kickboxing crown at ONE Fight Night 6 on Prime Video. The victory thrust him to the top of the pound-for-pound rankings in the eyes of many.
Seven months later, he returned to the ring for a showdown with former three-time GLORY kickboxing world champion Marat Grigorian.
‘Chinga’ delivered a spectacular five-round showing, walking away with a unanimous decision victory and his title intact.
Appearing on The MMA Hour with Ariel Helwani, Jonathan Di Bella suggested that Allazov’s work over the last year was more than enough to earn him his spot as the face of kickboxing around the world.
“In terms of the face of kickboxing right now, I would say it has to be Chingiz Allazov,” he said. “Chingiz is obviously really good. He’s proven it throughout the year.”
Who had the better 2023? Chingiz Allazov or Jonathan Di Bella?
Of course, Jonathan Di Bella had a pretty solid year, though he only stepped inside the ring once during 2023.
After claiming the ONE strawweight kickboxing crown with a dominant performance against Zhang Peimian at ONE 162, Di Bella was tasked with putting his title on the line against one of the promotion’s most versatile athletes, Danial Williams.
Stepping into the co-main event spotlight at ONE Fight Night 15, Di Bella delivered another top-notch performance against ‘Mini T,’ securing his second straight decision to retain his title and establish himself as one of the top kickboxers in the world.
Di Bella is now 12-0 in his professional career and is already eyeing two-sport glory in 2024.
Who do you think had the better 2023?
