Johnathan Di Bella squares against against Sam-A for Interim Gold – ONE 172

Di Bella is set to face off against the Thai great Sam-A, who has won gold in Muay Thai and Kickboxing in the ONE championship in a battle of former champions that will take place at ONE 192. The interim ONE Strawweight kickboxing title is on the line, and both will have a chance to rematch the current ONE Muay Thai and kickboxing strawweight champion Prajanchai.

Di Bella lost to Prajanchai in a very close fight, but Sam-A would not be as fortunate as he would lose to Prajanchai via brutal elbow knockout in the second round of their fight.

But now both fighters are coming off high-profile and confidence-building wins, with Di Bella scoring a win over the top-five-ranked Rui Botelho. And Sam-A scored an impressive win when he overcame former ONE strawweight kickboxing Zhang Peimian. Now, with the stakes at the highest, they could be for both fighters.

Sam-A is not getting any younger at 41 and has suffered a lot of wear and tear from his storied career in both sports. John Di Bella wants to prove that he is still championship material, knock off a generational great, and win a nice interim strap.

Johnathan Di Bella’s high-stakes fight means sink or swim for his title prospects.

Johnathan Di Bella has had a rocky relationship with ONE president, Chatri Sityodtong, at times even looking to strip him for apparently refusing to defend his title. Also, with ONE already being accused of favoritism in the past, this may be Di Bella’s last shot at a world title in ONE Championship and at a shot for redemption against an old rival in Prajanchai.

Also, facing a challenging but old opponent in Sam-A is truly sink or sime for the former champion, as the odds and the promotion are stacked against him at ONE 172.