"It makes me even more excited to win" - Jonathan Di Bella excited to spoil Prajanchai's homecoming at Lumpinee
ONE strawweight kickboxing world champion Jonathan Di Bella will face fellow divisional king, ONE strawweight Muay Thai king Prajanchai PK Saenchai, in a much-awaited world title defense at ONE Friday Fights 58 on April 5th.
The bout will take place inside the Lumpinee Boxing Stadium in Bangkok, Thailand. Dubbed "The Mecca of Muay Thai," Lumpinee has housed many great world champions and legends in the sport's long history - including Prajanchai.
Walking into enemy territory to face one of the city's proudest sons, Jonathan Di Bella is surprisingly unbothered by the hostile crowd that awaits him on fight night.
He told ONE:
“I know this is his home, so I know it means a lot to him. It makes me even more excited to win.”
Being an underdog or walking into enemy territory can often light a fire under any fighter. Look to see Di Bella use the energy of the crowd, whether friendly or hostile, to channel his inner warrior on fight night.
Jonathan Di Bella respects Prajanchai's 'flawless' Muay Thai game
Ahead of his fight with the fellow ONE strawweight king, Jonathan Di Bella explained that it's not just the hostile crowd that he has to deal with. It is, most importantly, the Thai world champion's all-around versatility as a striker.
He told ONE:
“I always had my eye on him. I believe he has strengths everywhere. I don't believe he has many weaknesses. So yeah, I'm just getting ready to prepare for everything.”
Although Di Bella will have to deal with Prajanchai's threat on all fronts, the Thai icon will be walking into the Italian-Canadian star's world: kickboxing. One of Prajanchai's most dangerous weapons - the elbow strike - will be banned under kickboxing rules.
This little fact alone will make this fight interesting to watch. ONE Friday Fights 58 is available free on ONE Championship's digital platforms.