“I had to adjust a little bit” - Former kickboxing champ Jonathan Di Bella reflects on his first three-round battle with ONE

After going five rounds in his first three fights under the ONE Championship banner, Jonathan Di Bella had to make some adjustments for his three-round clash against Rui Botelho.

The former ONE strawweight kickboxing world champion looked as sharp as ever in his return to the legendary Lumpinee Stadium at ONE Fight Night 26, scoring a dominant unanimous decision victory over Rui Botelho. The win moved Di Bella to 3-1 in ONE and put him right back into the hunt for a title opportunity against reigning two-division titleholder Prajanchai PK Saenchai.

Speaking with Mitch Chilson immediately following his return to the win column, Di Bella spoke about adjusting to three rounds instead of five and his plans to compete more often in 2025:

"I want to fight more often. I have been fighting like three title fights in a row, so this is my first three rounds in a while and I had to adjust a little bit, but yeah, I’d like to fight more. I know Chatri’s gonna give me more fights next year, so I’m pumped for that. I can’t wait."

After seeing Di Bella compete just once in 2023 and twice in 2024, more appearances by the Canadian-Italian kickboxer will be a welcome sight for both fighters and fans alike.

---

Jonathan Di Bella has two fights in mind following his win at ONE Fight Night 26

What comes next for Jonathan Di Bella remains to be seen, but a rematch with Prajanchai certainly seems like a logical option. However, that isn't the only fight on Di Bella's radar.

Speaking at the ONE Fight Night 26 post-fight press conference, Di Bella also opened the door for a clash with Thai legend and former ONE world champion Sam-A Gaiyanghadao.

"Prajanchai will be a great fight. Those are the two that I think I have left to fight and meet at the highest level. I think I beat everybody else. I'm not sure who else is left. But yeah, I think those two fights make sense. Yeah, those are my two fights that I could see happening."

What do you think should be next for Di Bella after his strong showing against Rui Botelho in Bangkok?

If you missed any of the action, ONE Championship fans in the United States and Canada can watch the ONE Fight Night 26 replay on demand via Amazon Prime Video.