Prajanchai Says ‘Fight IQ’ Will Decide Showdown With Jonathan Di Bella In Quest For Two-Sport Glory
Reigning ONE Strawweight Muay Thai World Champion Prajanchai PK Saenchai will soon lace up the 8-ounce gloves and take his shot at two-sport gold when he challenges defending ONE Strawweight Kickboxing World Champion Jonathan Di Bella.
Scheduled for Asia primetime at ONE Friday Fights 58: Superbon vs. Grigorian II later this week, that massive World Title clash will pit two of the planet’s top pound-for-pound strikers against each other.
Before the action gets underway in front of a raucous home crowd at the iconic Lumpinee Boxing Stadium in Bangkok, Prajanchai spoke to onefc.com about his matchup with the unbeaten Italian-Canadian titleholder.
The Thai megastar said:
“This fight is gonna be entertaining and explosive. Let’s see who makes the first mistake.”
One of the most experienced fighters on ONE’s roster with a 342-52-3 professional record, Prajanchai has seen it all over the course of his legendary career.
While he’s quick to recognize Di Bella’s elite skill set and 12-0 pro kickboxing slate, he also has supreme confidence in his own striking game, honed over a lifetime of training and competing at the highest levels of Muay Thai.
The PK Saenchai representative said:
“Jonathan Di Bella’s strengths are quick footwork plus his fast and accurate punches. He also has dangerous knee strikes. But on the other hand, he has many weaknesses – but let’s find out on the ring.
“I’m not worried about his speed at all because I am confident in my speed, as well. So, this fight will be decided by who has more fight IQ.”
In Di Bella’s most recent outing, he earned a hard-fought decision win over “Mini T” Danial Williams to successfully defend his kickboxing gold. In that fight, he showcased some serious durability after eating a number of leg kicks from the challenger.
While Prajanchai gives credit where it’s due, he says the titleholder might not be so tough once they come to blows this Friday:
“In his fight with Danial, Di Bella showed his toughness when he got leg kicked by Danial. He didn’t show any sign of pain. But that was Danial’s kick, not my kick. I want to know if he’ll still be able to withstand it when I kick him.”
Prajanchai Unfazed By Transition To Kickboxing
If he takes out Jonathan Di Bella at ONE Friday Fights 58, Prajanchai PK Saenchai will enter rarified air as a two-sport ONE World Champion.
Already an icon in the Muay Thai world, the 29-year-old superstar has only just begun to dip his toes into the sport of kickboxing.
His sights, he says, are set on greatness this year:
“My first goal for 2024 is to become a two-sport World Champion. The second is to maintain my undefeated status throughout this year.”
In order to achieve those lofty goals, Prajanchai will be tested as he transitions between Muay Thai and kickboxing.
Last September, he made his ONE kickboxing debut, looking sharp on his way to a dominant decision win over Algerian scrapper Akram Hamidi.
Always in search of a new way to challenge himself, the Thai says the move from 4-ounce Muay Thai to kickboxing has been relatively smooth:
“I have had more than 500 Muay Thai fights, so I needed a new challenge. Fighting in small gloves in ONE provided the challenge I needed, but it was just temporary. So, I’m looking for new challenges in kickboxing.
“My style is already close to kickboxing, so I had no problem with the transition. I just had to remind myself what weapons were and weren’t allowed.”
