Jonathan Di Bella Wants New Blood After Closing The Book On Zhang Peimian
Some fighters silence critics with their fists. Jonathan Di Bella prefers doing it with a scoreboard.
The ONE Strawweight Kickboxing World Champion defended his title against Zhang Peimian in a five-round rematch at The Inner Circle 22, held Friday, July 17, inside Lumpinee Stadium in Bangkok, Thailand.
The win pushed his head-to-head record against Zhang to 2-0, matching their first encounter four years earlier, a result many observers had chalked up to fortune rather than skill.
“The victory felt good. Our first fight was a close match, and this fight was a close match as well. From the first fight, everybody was saying he was lucky. So I proved him wrong tonight.”
Di Bella revealed he made a deliberate choice mid-fight to trade caution for spectacle.
“I knew he was gonna come out strong. But I just stayed smart. However, I decided to go for a brawl to give the fans a show. I wanted to give fans an entertaining fight.”
Asked to pinpoint the moment the fight tilted his way, the champion admitted even he was not entirely certain.
“I think it was the fifth round where I hurt him the most. I dropped him, threw his mouthpiece out, and I saw his face change. But I still don’t know what round it was. All I know was that he came to fight, so he’s always gonna give trouble.”
With the rivalry settled twice over, Di Bella has no appetite for a third chapter. His attention has shifted toward Japan’s growing wave of championship talent, and he is even open to a unification bid at flyweight against Superlek.
“I want to fight some Japanese champions, and if I get an opportunity to go up in division, I’ll take it. It’s a risky move for me, but I will do it. In this sport, you gotta take risks.”
The win capped an already memorable stretch for the lifelong New York Knicks fan, who watched his team capture its first NBA Championship in 53 years a month earlier. Should the flyweight opportunity materialize, Di Bella has no interest in working his way up the rankings first.
“I see the champion, and I want the champion. If I go to flyweight, Superlek’s the champ. I haven’t seen him fight in flyweight in a long time, but of course, that would be a good fight.”
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