Jonathan Di Bella’s journey to undisputed ONE Strawweight Kickboxing World Champion status reached its emotional peak at ONE Fight Night 36 on 4 October.
There, he defeated Prajanchai PK Saenchai via unanimous decision in a five-round battle that earned him the crown and a US$50,000 performance bonus.
The 29-year-old addressed media at the post-event press conference with gratitude for the people who helped shape his championship moment.
His parents’ consistent presence ringside throughout his career provided the emotional foundation for his greatest achievement.
“My mom and my dad supported me my whole career, my whole life, and she always comes to my fights. Every fight she’s always ringside, so yeah, it’s an honor to have my parents here all the time,” Di Bella shared.
The Team Di Bella Kickboxing representative improved to 15-1 overall and 5-1 in ONE Championship by executing a tactical masterpiece against the 30-year-old Thai veteran.
His corner’s specific instructions to target the body proved immediately effective and set the tone for the entire five-round contest.
“I listened to my team, did my job. I believe I hurt him right away. They told me to go to the body with punches, and I hurt him right away. That’s when I saw his face change, and I just kept going and fighting the whole five rounds,” he explained.
While Di Bella anticipated most of Prajanchai’s strategies, one aspect of his own offense exceeded expectations during the bout.
“Nothing surprised me. I knew what he was going to do. I was surprised that I landed a lot of clean low kicks, calf kicks, because he knows me already and I’m surprised he was not defending that well,” he revealed.
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