ONE Interim Strawweight Kickboxing World Champion Jonathan Di Bella still believes he won his first encounter with Prajanchai PK Saenchai and is determined not to let their unification bout go to the scorecards when they meet in the main event of ONE Fight Night 36 on 4 October.
The 29-year-old Italian-Canadian suffered the only professional loss of his 14-1 striking career when he dropped a unanimous decision to the Thai in June 2024 for the vacant ONE Strawweight Kickboxing World Title.
The Montreal-based fighter remains convinced he did enough to win that first meeting.
"I feel like I won the fight. After the bell rang, I thought I had won. I know I did more damage. I know I hit him with some hard shots and hurt him. But I know he didn't hurt me," Di Bella explained.
Since that setback, the Team Di Bella Kickboxing representative has bounced back impressively with a victory over legendary Sam-A Gaiyanghadao in March 2025, earning the interim strap and extending his winning streak to two fights.
Now facing the 30-year-old two-sport king who holds both the ONE Strawweight Muay Thai and Kickboxing World Championships with 344 career victories, Di Bella has adjusted his approach to ensure a definitive outcome.
"This fight can end any second, or it can end up going the five rounds, especially against Prajanchai. I know I'm going to win because I'm not going to make this a close fight," the interim champion declared.
Di Bella acknowledges the multiple threats posed by the Thai champion's well-rounded striking arsenal.
"He has a strong IQ in the ring. He knows how to score. His brain is the most strongest weapon, for sure. But, also, he has fast hands and fast kicks. So, I've got to be prepared for that as well," he assessed.
ONE Fight Night 36 will be broadcast live on JioHotstar and Star Sports Select 2 at 6:30 a.m. IST on Saturday, 4 October.
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