After his first professional career loss, Canadian-Italian striker Jonathan Di Bella will look to bounce back with a win against the highly experienced Rui Botelho, of Portugal. This kickboxing bout will take place in ONE's strawweight division at ONE Fight Night 26 at Lumpinee Boxing Stadium in Bangkok, Thailand on December 6.
JONATHAN DI BELLA VS. RUI BOTELHO
The 28-year-old Jonathan Di Bella was the reigning ONE Strawweight Kickboxing World Champion. He won this world title with a kickboxing masterclass against China's Zhang Peimian. He then defended this title in another striking display against the veteran combat sports athlete Danial Williams.
In April, he was scheduled to defend his title against Prajanchai but fell ill and was subsequently hospitalized, failing to meet the hydration standards, which led to him being stripped of the title.
After a back-and-forth war, the fighter from Montreal was not able to recapture the vacant title, even though the decision was contentious among fans. Regardless, it was an exciting matchup between two world-class strikers.
Between kickboxing and boxing, this was the Canadian's first career loss at the professional level.
Portugal's Rui Botelho began Muay Thai when he was only 16-year-old and since then it has made him a popular figure in the combat sports community. In ONE, he has jumped between kickboxing and Muay Thai trading wins and losses with some of the best in the sport including double-champion Superlek. Most recently, he is coming off two victories against Zhang Peimian and Thongpoon PK Saenchai, two highly respected athletes.
Whether in Muay Thai or Kickboxing, Prajanchai PK Saenchai holds the throne that both of these men will be fighting for. Both athletes are in a must-win scenario if they want a shot at ONE gold.
