Jonathan Di Bella will be defending his World Title, but he knows that he will be facing a tough champion. At ONE Friday Fights 58: Superbon vs Grigorian II, the undefeated Canadian-Italian striker will battle divisional Muay Thai king Prajanchai PK Saenchai for the ONE Strawweight Kickboxing World Championship.

The event goes down on Friday, April 5, on Asia primetime inside the iconic Lumpinee Boxing Stadium in Bangkok, Thailand. Prajanchai is aiming for two-sport glory after claiming undisputed status in the Muay Thai ranks at ONE Friday Fights 46 last December at the expense of Joseph Lasiri. 

Jonathan Di Bella knows what he’s dealing with

As a true student of martial arts, Di Bella told ONE in an interview that he is aware of the accolades that his opponent has amassed over his storied career. “I’ve been watching [Prajanchai] for a long time. Obviously, he’s a great champion.”

“He’s one of the best strikers to ever compete at the highest level and has won all over Thailand and Lumpinee and all the other stadiums. I’ve been watching him for a very long time, and I’ve always had my eye on him,” he said. 

Prajanchai holds an insane 342-52-3 record in a career that has spanned over a decade and a half and is regarded as one of the top pound-for-pound best strikers on the planet today. Di Bella’s 12-0 record may pale in comparison to that of the PK Saenchai representative, but he believes that overcoming his latest challenger will give his record more weight.

“Beating a name like him, it means a lot. It means a lot for me. And it means a lot for all the viewers because if I beat another champion, it’s very important for my name and my recognition,” he said. The Montreal native has only competed in World Title bouts in the world’s largest martial arts organization, and he will look to make it three in a row this weekend. 

War is imminent

Guided by his World Champion father as always, Di Bella is confident that he will be fully prepared to take on arguably the biggest fight of his career. “I’m just getting ready for the best version of him and one of the best fighters that I’ve ever faced in front of me. I’m getting ready for war,” he said. 

Also Read: Superbon Aims for “Revenge” Against Chingiz Allazov by Taking Out Marat Grigorian at ONE Friday Fights 58

“I’ve been going through a rough training camp that my dad’s been putting me through. I’m just going through it all, giving my all, and I’ll be 100 percent ready for his fight. So yeah, can’t wait.” What do you think about the champion’s mindset?

Also Read: “It Means Everything to Me” – Marat Grigorian Determined to Claim ONE Gold at the Expense of Superbon