Jonathan Di Bella Bringing “Extra Fire” Into Zhang Peimian Rematch At The Inner Circle 22
The champion knows his challenger has changed since their first war. He insists he has changed just as much.
Jonathan Di Bella defends the ONE Strawweight Kickboxing World Title against Zhang Peimian in the main event of The Inner Circle 22 on Friday, July 17. The rematch streams live for members from Bangkok’s iconic Lumpinee Stadium.
Their first meeting at ONE 162 in October 2022 remains one of the most dramatic World Title fights in ONE Championship history, and Di Bella expects the sequel to deliver the same kind of drama.
“It’s an exciting fight. Zhang is an exciting fighter, and it’s an exciting fight for the fans. The first one was fire, and this one will be fire as well,” the 29-year-old kingpin said.
Di Bella remembers Zhang as the division’s next big thing back in 2022, a 19-year-old who had already won the Road To ONE: China tournament and destroyed his early opponents.
“When I fought him, I believe he just turned 19, and I just turned 26. For sure, when I first signed with ONE, he was a kid who was destroying everybody. He won Road To ONE: China and destroyed the two guys he fought before me,” he said.
“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.”
That history gives the rematch its emotional charge, and Di Bella expects revenge to be Zhang’s driving motivation.
“Now, he wants revenge. That’s what I’m thinking. All I’m even thinking about is him wanting to get revenge, and I think he will show up 100 percent,” he said.
“He is older now and more mature, so for sure, it’s going to be a different fight. It may be the same war, but it’s going to be a different mindset for both of us.”
Di Bella believes his own growth has gone overlooked. He was returning from three years away from competition when he beat Zhang the first time, and his body has changed considerably since.
“Since that fight, first of all, my nutrition. Back then, I was walking around at 125 pounds. Now, I’m a bit bigger and stronger, and I have the experience,” he explained.
That experience has sharpened an edge Di Bella has no plans to soften now that the belt is back around his waist.
“I have always had that mean streak in me, but this time, I have an extra fire in me because I really wanted that belt back, and now that I got it, I have to keep the same mean streak going. It’s a different time, and I’m going to be even meaner this time,” he said.
Beyond Zhang, Di Bella has his sights on a future two-division bid against flyweight king Superlek, but he insists that conversation waits.
“Being a two-division champ would be great, but it’s a legendary fight. Superlek is a big name in a super-fight, and in this sport, to make your name bigger, you got to fight big names,” he concluded.
“But for the record, I’m only focusing on Zhang now. Without Zhang, there is no super-fight.”
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