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At ONE Fight Night 16, ONE strawweight kickboxing world champion Jonathan Di Bella watched on with a close eye on one particular match-up.
Di Bella successfully defended his title at ONE Fight Night 15 and was now on the lookout for his next title contender.
Zhang Peimian and Rui Botelho fought to a controversial decision that saw the Portuguese fighter pull off the upset in getting his hand raised.
Unfortunately for the champion, this left some doubts over who the number one contender should really be as just like the fans, he was left confused by the fight and outcome.
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Jonathan Di Bella gave his take on the fight and the uncertainty that following it during a recent interview with the South China Morning Post:
“I think Rui did more damage in his face but Zhang was throwing more, so it's like he was landing with the arms a lot. It was so close but it was also so weird, like it was close.” [12:50 onwards]
Watch the full interview below:
North American viewers with an active Amazon Prime Video subscription can rewatch Peimian vs Botelho via the free event replay of ONE Fight Night 16.
Jonathan Di Bella is happy to look past the problematic outcome of the fight
ONE Championship fans and Jonathan Di Bella himself were hoping that a clear number one contender would emerge from this match-up.
A rematch with Zhang Peimian would have made the most sense but even in pulling off the upset, Botelho didn’t produce the kind of performance that demands a title shot.
Fortunately for the fans that want to see him back inside the Circle as soon as possible, Di Bella wants to be a fighting champion.
In recent interviews, he has revealed that he is happy to fight both men in two quick turnarounds if it means keeping him busy and proving himself as the best in the division with no close second place.
He has called for a short notice fight in the coming months but it remains to be seen what is next for the ONE strawweight kickboxing world champion.
