Coffee And Combat: How Kickboxing King Jonathan Di Bella Is Fueled By A Second Passion
Jonathan Di Bella’s lifestyle is powered by a combination of martial arts and high-quality espresso.
The undefeated ONE Strawweight Kickboxing World Champion – who next defends his belt against “Mini T” Danial Williams at ONE Fight Night 15: Tawanchai vs. Superbon on Prime Video on Friday, October 6 – is a true aficionado when it comes to both, honing his love throughout his lifetime.
As the proud Italian-Canadian prepares for the first defense of his crown at Lumpinee Boxing Stadium in Bangkok, Thailand, you’ll find him grinding beans before grinding in the gym.
While most kids in his native Montreal wouldn’t be sipping espressos until much later on, Di Bella recalls getting acquainted – and obsessed – with the drink in his ancestral homeland as a youngster.
He told onefc.com:
“The first time I had an espresso shot was when I was like 6 years old. My grandfather gave me a shot of espresso, and yeah, it felt good after that.
“My family’s from a village in Campagna. I remember being in Italy when I was young, opening the windows in the morning, and the first thing you smell is coffee and espresso. That’s one of my favorite memories.”
Di Bella has been an avid consumer ever since, so much so that it’s always been a part of his routine.
However, he doesn’t just enjoy the smooth taste of a good espresso. As a world-class kickboxer with a tough training schedule, Di Bella also enjoys the caffeine hit that helps push him through his daily workload – though he admits it might not be for everybody.
The strawweight kickboxing king said:
“I used to go to training, and it would always be a thing – an espresso before training. My family even jokes about it: ‘Jon has an espresso before training.’ It’s a little inside joke we have.
“I’m used to it since a young age. It’s kind of my own thing, I don’t know about other people. They can try it but, yeah, you have to get used to it before doing it before training. I’d recommend that in the morning.”
Jonathan Di Bella Is Turning His Passion Into A Product
Jonathan Di Bella’s fascination with coffee has now seen him take a step into the business world by starting up his own espresso company.
The 27-year-old has honed his palette for more than 20 years, and he is bringing Di Bella Espresso to the market for fellow connoisseurs.
Detailing the process, the Canadian-Italian said:
“I was always thinking about doing something that has nothing to do with fighting. I want to have a little peace of mind, a little escape from fighting. It’s always good to have that.
“I pick the beans, so it’s for sure gonna be the best! And I saw the whole ground, roasting, and everything. I think everybody should get it.”
It may seem like a precarious time to run a business venture with the first defense of his ONE Strawweight Kickboxing World Title coming up on October 6, but fortunately, Di Bella has a strong support system around him.
His father is his kickboxing coach, and he co-owns his coffee company with his longtime girlfriend. That means everybody can pull together and make sure all avenues are covered while he readies for ONE Fight Night 15 in U.S. primetime.
Di Bella added:
“Me and my girlfriend started it last year. It’s our business. It’s me and her together. It’s hard [to juggle everything], but I have a lot of help.
“The espresso part, I’m still not thinking about it as work yet. I’m just having fun with it. But my girlfriend and some of her colleagues are helping me out with that. They’re taking care of it, especially now that I’m in the fight camp.”
