Former ONE Strawweight Kickboxing World Champion Jonathan Di Bella is almost back on the throne. At ONE 172 on Sunday, March 23, he has a chance to claim the ONE Interim Strawweight Kickboxing World Title. To do so, he must defeat another former titleholder and certified legend, Sam-A Gaiyanghadao.
Jonathan Di Bella Eyeing Matchup in Saitama Super Arena for Long Time
But the match is special for more reasons than the gold on the line. When ONE Championship rolls into the Saitama Super Arena in Japan, Jonathan Di Bella will get to mark off another storied venue from his wish list. As a combat sports fan himself, he is gracious to compete in the historic venue.
“It’s a dream come true. Saitama Super Arena is a legendary arena for kickboxing and all combat sports because it’s been there forever. I used to watch all the old fights, all the old kickboxing fights on videos when I was young, and it was always at the Saitama Super Arena. I was shocked when I got the call to fight in Japan. It’s really a nice venue and a dream come true, especially fighting Sam-A there. A legend. My dream fight against Sam-A, and the Saitama Super Arena is going to be a perfect location,” Jonathan Di Bella detailed to ONE.
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Sam-A Dream Opponent for Jonathan Di Bella
Jonathan Di Bella has always had his eyes on Sam-A. As a fan, he watched his matches in admiration of the Thai star’s skill. As an athlete signed to ONE, he knew he would one day have to meet him in the ring. On March 23, that day arrives.
“I’ve been watching [Sam-A] fight since I was young. I’m excited to fight him. It’s like a dream fight of mine. When I signed to ONE Championship, he was the champion at the time. I was looking forward to getting fights and working my way up to fight him eventually, but then he retired,” the Italian-Canadian athlete said.
The 28-year-old stated it would be a dream come true to earn the title victory against Sam-A. However, he is not as sure how the match itself will play out. Knowing it could be a tactical affair or an all-out brawl, Jonathan Di Bella is preparing for all eventualities.
Fastest striker in ONE? 😱 Can Jonathan Di Bella outgun Sam-A and capture the ONE Interim Strawweight Kickboxing World Title at ONE 172: Takeru vs. Rodtang? 👑 @jondibella
Buy ONE 172: Takeru vs. Rodtang on PPV NOW 👉 https://t.co/wchKJX2l8F#ONE172 | Sunday March 23 at 4PM… pic.twitter.com/r6eYuBw5oG
— ONE Championship (@ONEChampionship) March 9, 2025
“We could start off technical, and then after one shot, somebody can get hurt, and we could start going at it. Anything can happen in this type of fight because it’s such a high-level fight. The first round could be tactical, and as it goes on, we build up to the fifth round, and then we start going at it,” Jonathan Di Bella stated.
Jonathan Di Bella Expects Fireworks vs. Sam-A March 23
If he were a betting man, the Italian-Canadian believes the match will be a mix of both. For Di Bella, that is the best-case scenario. The two elite strawweights will undoubtedly put on a show for the fans one way or the other.
“I think it’s going to be a tactical fight until somebody lands a hard shot, and then we’re just gonna start trading and start going at it in the middle of the ring. Hopefully, we just start and trade and give fans a war. I hope for that. I really hope for that,” the strawweight striker predicted.
ONE 172 airs live on Sunday, March 23, at 3 a.m. ET/midnight PT. The action hails from the Saitama Super Arena in Japan. The event is available to purchase on global pay-per-view via watch.onefc.com.
