Jonathan Di Bella Ready For Evolved Zhang Peimian In Title Rematch

Jonathan Di Bella has already silenced Zhang Peimian once, and he is ready to do it again.

Now, nearly four years later, the reigning ONE Strawweight Kickboxing World Champion faces a very different version of that same opponent. Di Bella defends his title against Zhang in the main event of The Inner Circle 22 on Friday, July 17, streaming on live.onefc.com.

Their first encounter in October 2022 remains one of the most dramatic title fights. Zhang was just 19 years old at the time, arriving as the hot favorite. Di Bella, making his promotional debut, had other ideas. A knockdown in the final round turned the contest on its head and handed the Italian-Canadian southpaw the vacant ONE

Strawweight Kickboxing World Title in stunning fashion.

The memory of that night has not faded for Di Bella, who recalls the atmosphere surrounding his opponent with a certain satisfaction.

"Everybody was making a big deal about him. There was so much hype around him. He was the favorite to win. He was the next big thing. But then, he ran into me," he said.

Zhang, now 22, trains out of Shengli Fight Club and carries a 20-5 career record and six ONE wins into the rematch.

The aggressive striker has matured considerably since that first meeting, and Di Bella is under no illusions that the challenger walking into The Inner Circle 22 is a fundamentally different fighter from the teenager he defeated nearly three years ago.

"Now, he wants revenge. He is older now and more mature, so for sure, it's going to be a different fight," he explained.

What has also changed significantly is Di Bella himself. The Team Di Bella Kickboxing product carries a 15-1 career record and a 5-1 ONE record into the contest, having accumulated five World Title fights worth of experience since their first encounter.

That journey has forged a bigger, stronger, and more complete champion.

"Now, I'm a bit bigger and stronger, and I have the experience. I've fought World Champions. I've had [five] World Title fights since then. I feel like the experience helped," he added.