Jonathan Di Bella Confirms Wang Junguang Deserves ONE World Title Shot
Reigning ONE Strawweight Kickboxing World Champion Jonathan Di Bella has seen enough of Wang Junguang to make up his mind.
The 30-year-old Italian-Canadian ace reacted to Wang's split-decision victory over ONE Strawweight Muay Thai World Champion Prajanchai Pongsuphan PK at The Inner Circle 35 earlier this month, and his verdict on the result is clear: the Chinese kickboxer earned the title shot, and their eventual clash will end in a knockout.
Wang had been away from ONE Championship for six years before making his comeback against Prajanchai, who was himself returning after a year out due to surgery.
The Chinese striker outclassed his rival across three rounds to claim the split decision, defeating the reigning divisional Muay Thai king and immediately elevating himself into the title contention conversation. Di Bella was watching.
Di Bella Had Wang Winning 3-0, Says He Looked Aggressive
The reigning ONE Strawweight Kickboxing World Champion did not need to see the judges' scorecards to reach his own verdict on the Wang-Prajanchai contest. Di Bella watched a fighter arriving with a specific hunger that registered clearly.
"He looked good. It looks like he was hungry, and he wants to get a title shot. Prajanchai, meanwhile, I didn't see him in shape. I had it 3-0 for Wang. He's looking very strong. He looked aggressive," the Italian-Canadian said.
Di Bella comes off the back of a successful title defense against Chinese star Zhang Peimian in July, adding another chapter to a title reign that spans five ONE Strawweight Kickboxing World Title victories and a 16-1 career record.
Di Bella Says Wang Deserves the Title Shot After Beating Prajanchai
The kickboxing king has not tried to block Wang's path to a title opportunity. Instead, Di Bella has acknowledged the logic of the result and given the Chinese challenger his due for a performance that earned the shot.
" he wants the belt, so no problem. It's his dream. He had a chance against Sam-A, but he didn't get it. Now, he wants a second chance. He beat Prajanchai, and I guess he deserves it," he explained.
Wang challenged for the inaugural ONE Strawweight Kickboxing World Championship against legendary Sam-A Gaiyanghadao in 2019, losing via unanimous decision after a competitive five-round battle. That result left a title ambition unresolved, and the victory over Prajanchai has reignited the pursuit more than six years later.
Di Bella Says Somebody Is Getting Knocked Out, If Match Happens
With the title shot case made and the respect delivered, Di Bella finished with a statement that makes the eventual matchup sound very short.
"We were supposed to fight once, like a long time ago, during COVID-19. But we had to cancel because of something with the flight, and the quarantine was too much of a mess. I do think somebody's going to get knocked out in this fight. And it's not going to be me," he said.
A COVID-era cancellation that left a genuine matchup unresolved, finally arriving years later with a title belt and a demolished Muay Thai champion's record in the picture, is the kind of backstory that makes fights feel inevitable.
