On the evening of 28 June, at ONE Championship Friday's Fight Night 68 event, Strawweight Muay Thai World Champion Prajanchai PK Saenchai faced former Strawweight Kickboxing World Champion Jonathan Di Bella for the ultimate strawweight kickboxing belt.
In April, Di Bella was about to challenge Prajanchai for the gold as the Strawweight Kickboxing World Champion. But during the pre-fight urine test, Di Bella canceled the fight and was stripped of the belt because he failed the urine test.
Therefore, this match is a battle of honor for Di Bella, who has repeatedly stated in his pre-fight interviews that he wants to defeat Prajanchai and reclaim his belt. But his opponent, Prajanchai, has been preparing for this matchup for a long time.
On the evening of June 28, Di Bella and Prajanchai faced off as the main event of the night, which attracted much attention. The match lasted five rounds, and the two sides fought heartily and evenly.
At the start of the first round, Di Bella showed his original reach advantage and attacked aggressively with combinations to try to knock his opponent down, but Prajanchai's quick response didn't leave Di Bella a chance. In the second round, Prajanchai and Di Bella entered a fast-paced fist fight, and Prajanchai's full state of preparation gradually appeared, and Di Bella's physical energy was depleted. At the beginning of the third round, Prajanchai began to switch tactics, flexibly move to control the rhythm of the game, and combined with legs to make Di Bella unable to cope for a while. In the fourth round, Di Bella was a little more aggressive and began to fight hard from close range, and Prajanchai kept hitting back with his legs; In the fifth round, Di Bella ran out of energy and Prajanchai had the upper hand.
At the end of five rounds, Prajanchai claimed a unanimous decision victory to claim the ONE Strawweight Kickboxing World Title and become the ONE Strawweight Muay Thai and Kickboxing Champion.
After this hearty duel, Di Bella and Prajanchai both had a great time, although the duel was full of gunpowder, and the two sides hugged each other after the duel.
Prajanchai was confident about the victory, saying in his pre-match interview: "I'm ready for this match, I've watched all of Di Bella's games and studied all his forms and tactics, so I know very well how to deal with various situations.
From Muay Thai to kickboxing, Prajanchai has once again created a myth in the strawweight division, and after nearly 400 fights of experience, Prajanchai's victory is well deserved!
It is worth mentioning that one of the commentators of the night's game was the high-profile Chinese boxer Zhang Peimian. Zhang has also performed well in his previous bouts, earning praise for his attacking and striking abilities, and has expressed his desire to challenge for the World Title.
After this battle, Prajanchai is likely to be Zhang's next opponent. For the next gold belt challenger, Zhang Peimian must step up his training and make adequate preparations.