The Canadian-Italian star will take on former two-division ONE world champion Sam-A Gaiyanghadao in the hopes of snatching the ONE Interim Strawweight Kickboxing World Title on Sunday, 23rd March, inside Saitama Super Arena in Japan.
Di Bella has always dreamed of competing at the historic venue. Having seen many fights go down there as a boy, he can’t wait to join the illustrious list of names that have graced the sacred ground.
“I used to watch all the old fights, all the old kickboxing fights on videos when I was young, and it was always at the Saitama Super Arena. I was shocked when I got the call to fight in Japan,” he said.
“It’s a dream come true. Saitama Super Arena is a legendary arena for kickboxing and all combat sports because it’s been there forever.”
The stage for Di Bella’s upcoming outing is undoubtedly significant to him. However, the opponent he’ll be facing at ONE 172 is also particularly important to him.
Sam-A has been an icon of the striking arts for many years and has held both the strawweight Muay Thai and kickboxing World Titles in ONE Championship.
Since returning to the world’s largest martial arts organization in 2023, following a two-year hiatus, the Thai star has gone 3-1, with two devastating knockouts.
His rival’s prowess is undeniable, so Di Bella is fully expecting a barnburner once the bell rings. He’s looking forward to putting on a show for the crowd and is relishing the thought of scoring a win over Sam-A in such a special location for combat sports.
“I think it’s going to be a tactical fight until somebody lands a hard shot, and then we’re just gonna start trading and start going at it in the middle of the ring. Hopefully, we just start and trade and give fans a war. I hope for that. I really hope for that,” Di Bella said.
“It’ll mean the world to win against Sam-A, a legend, in that arena, in Japan. You know, winning a World Title against him, that’s a dream come true.”
