The Inner Circle 22 Main Event Result: Jonathan Di Bella Solves Zhang Peimian Again, Retains Strawweight Kickboxing Gold

ONE Strawweight Kickboxing World Champion Jonathan Di Bella once again got the better of “Fighting Rooster” Zhang Peimian, defeating the Chinese star by unanimous decision to retain his spot atop the throne in this fierce main event rematch at The Inner Circle 22.

Nearly four years after overcoming the Shengli Fight Club and Tiger Muay Thai star for the vacant crown, the Canadian-Italian emerged victorious in this five-round classic in Bangkok’s iconic Lumpinee Stadium on Friday, July 17. Their clash and the rest of the card were available exclusively to subscribers at live.onefc.com.

Much like their first encounter, which delivered on all fronts, both striking technicians got this headline attraction off to a blistering pace. The Team Di Bella Kickboxing star and “Fighting Rooster” traded crisp one-two combinations right from the jump, making it clear they had no intention of feeling the other out first.

Speed and precision were there for both superstars throughout the opening three minutes. They returned in the second frame offering much more. Di Bella landed his trademark hand combinations, while Zhang answered with sharp counters while throwing effective shots to the body.

Action shifted a gear up in round three. Both men displayed their chops with their hands, but introduced more low kicks before returning to their boxing. The 29-year-old Di Bella even launched a knee, but “Fighting Rooster” immediately responded with a powerful right hook that briefly halted the defending king’s momentum.

The 22-year-old challenger diversified his attack in the fourth canto, landing a crescent kick to the midsection that visibly slowed Di Bella. However, the Montreal native remained composed, tapping into that world-class fight IQ of his to find gaps in Zhang’s defense with solid boxing combinations.

Di Bella returned strongly in the final round, finding clean combinations while Zhang kept firing back. A sharp left hook counter from the kingpin also knocked Zhang’s mouthguard loose during the frantic closing exchanges.

When the final bell sounded after 15 minutes of back-and-forth action, Di Bella’s hand was raised once more, keeping the ONE Strawweight Kickboxing World Title around his waist. The result improved the Canadian-Italian to 16-1 overall and pushed his head-to-head record against Zhang to 2-0.