"A good fight like always" - Jonathan Di Bella promises to leave fans satisfied in pivotal matchup with Rui Botelho
Former ONE strawweight kickboxing world champion Jonathan Di Bella made a bold promise to ONE Championship fans ahead of his strawweight kickboxing bout with Rui Botelho at ONE Fight Night 26 on Dec. 6. During an exclusive interview with Sportskeeda MMA, Di Bella was asked what fans can expect from him inside the Lumpinee Stadium in Bangkok, Thailand. He responded:
"Yeah, just a good, good fight, like always. It could be technical. It could be a war. You guys are still gonna be excited. And you're still going to be happy after the fight."
Di Bella's ability to adjust to his opponent's fighting style is not surprising to those who have followed his journey in the world's largest martial arts promotion.
Flaunting his technical side in his October 2022 promotional debut versus Zhang Peimian, the Team Di Bella Kickboxing product outworked 'Fighting Rooster' to claim the then-vacant strawweight kickboxing crown.
Meanwhile, the 28-year-old's power shone through in his successful defense of the throne against Danial Williams in October of the following year, where he battered 'Mini T' en route to the unanimous decision win.
Jonathan Di Bella zeroed in on Rui Botelho clash
Jonathan Di Bella still wants to avenge the lone loss of his career, which came against ONE strawweight Muay Thai and kickboxing world champion Prajanchai PK Saenchai in June. But for now, he remains focused on taking down Rui Botelho at ONE Fight Night 26.
He recently told Sportskeeda MMA in an exclusive interview:
"Yeah, I'm a bit disappointed because I should have went for the immediate rematch. But right now, I got a contract that says Rui Botelho on it, and I gotta focus on him, you know, 100 percent."
ONE Fight Night 26 will air live and free to all Prime Video subscribers in the United States and Canada.