‘Do Or Die’ – Danial Williams All-In For Strawweight Kickboxing World Title Shot Against Jonathan Di Bella
After several high-profile appearances, it’s make-or-break time for “Mini T” Danial Williams at ONE Fight Night 15 on Prime Video.
The Thai-Australian fan favorite has accepted short-notice opportunities against the best strikers on the planet, but he’ll have a full fight camp for his ONE Strawweight Kickboxing World Title challenge of Jonathan Di Bella on October 6 in U.S. primetime.
Williams most recently stepped up to challenge Superlek Kiatmoo9 for the ONE Flyweight Kickboxing World Title with just days to spare.
Although he came up short, he’s been rewarded for his courage by getting another shot at gold – this time in his natural weight class.
It’s a massive moment for the 30-year-old, so he’s not leaving anything to chance in his preparation for this showdown in Bangkok, Thailand.
“Mini T” told onefc.com:
“Getting this fight has been such a big, big excitement. I feel like this is everything I’ve worked for, like this is my chance. I feel like this is it for me.
“This is my opportunity now. The next eight weeks are just gonna be full [of training]. No distractions. Just work to be the best I can be after the 20 years of martial arts I have done.”
While Williams entered his last-minute World Title shot against Superlek with confidence, he knew it was a high-risk, high-reward scenario to face the Thai superstar under those circumstances.
This time, he won’t cut any corners – either physically or mentally – as he aims for Di Bella’s crown. And with no mitigating factors affecting his chances, he knows that success or failure is truly in his own hands.
Williams said:
“It would mean everything [to win a ONE World Title]. This is going to be like fighting myself in there because I’ve got a lot to prove. The World Title has been my goal since I started. It’s been a really hard journey getting there, and this is where I’m finding myself. I’ve got to prove to myself that I deserve it.
“I feel like because this is in my control, this is do or die. That’s how I’m treating it. There are no excuses in this match. There’s nothing I can fall back on. This is it. I don’t see losing as an option.”
Danial Williams Solely Focused On Kickboxing Gold After Harsh Lessons
Danial Williams is never one to call out potential opponents in a negative way, but he’s had his eyes on Jonathan Di Bella since last year.
The unbeaten Di Bella is a slick operator with elite skills, and “Mini T” badly wanted to share the ring with him in order to test himself against the division’s top star.
He said of the Italian-Canadian:
“I called him out a while ago, and then he heard about it, took note of it, and said he really wanted that fight. So I was like, ‘This is awesome.’
“It’s good to get the opportunity to fight him and see who is the best kickboxer in our division. I want to fight the best in ONE Championship, and he is awesome. They give me the best matches.”
Having taken important lessons from his recent outings, Williams is planning to enter the ring sharper and more focused. He’s never shied away from a challenge – no matter the sport – though he admits he may have been trying to bite off more than he could chew.
Now, “Mini T” is putting all of his efforts toward one date and one goal – and that’s the ONE Strawweight Kickboxing World Championship on October 6.
He added:
“I wanted to be the Muay Thai, kickboxing, and MMA champ [in ONE]. It still is my goal, I’m just more focused on the one area now.
“Before I was still training all the sports, but the learning curve from the last couple of fights is to focus on one area first, and this is how it’s going to be done.
“So, I’ve got the kickboxing opportunity now. I’ll put all my energy into that. Studying my opponent, getting into the mind of him, and putting everything I have into training.”
