Jon DiBella excited to take on Thai legend Sam-A at ONE 172 in legendary kickboxing stadium Saitama Super Arena

One of the best kickboxers in the world will fight a Thai legend on Sunday in Japan as Jon DiBella prepares to step in the squared circle with Sam-A Gaiyanghadao.

Canada’s Italian-born former strawweight kickboxing champion sat down with The Sporting News to discuss this highly anticipated matchup for interim strawweight gold on a huge ONE 172 card from the legendary kickboxing venue, Saitama Super Arena.

DiBella knows how big this card is, a flagship ONE Championship card on pay-per-view with two of the company’s biggest stars headlining, and plans to make the most of it.

He had one fight since losing his belt to wash out the bad taste of his first-ever pro combat sports loss, beating Rui Botelho in a dominant performance in December last year, where Jon showed uncharacteristic aggression from the opening bell.

“It’s kind of a mix of everything,” he answered, when asked why he went after Botelho so hard. “It was my first loss. I wanted to prove that I had come back, for sure. Second thing, I knew I felt like I was a level above, so I wanted to show that as well. And it was a three rounder, so I had to put the pressure right away.”

That showing bodes well for how the 28-year-old will look this Sunday, but his opponent this time is a legend with 375 wins, three Lumpinee Stadium belts, and three ONE Championship titles on his resume.

Yet at 41-years-old, Sam-A’s next opponent thinks the legend is somehow still improving.

“He was, like, one of my favorite fighters to watch, you know,” DiBella said. “When I started in ONE, he was champion already, so I was looking forward, training to fight him… So after he retired, I was kind of sad that I didn’t get to fight him. But now he’s back, and it’s one of my dream fights. And he’s been on a tear, you know? It looks like he looks like he got better. I don’t know what happened, but he got looks like he got better. And he’s on a two fight winning streak, and he beat Zhang, and he beat Hamidi.”

The former champ already faced a legend, one closer to his own age, in Prajanchai PK Saenchai just last year. Although it was DiBella’s first official loss, a large faction of viewers felt that he won the fight.

Even Chatri Sityodtong, CEO of ONE Championship, scored the fight for DiBella over the Thai pound-for-pound great.

Although DiBella obviously agrees he should have gotten the nod, he is not bothered by losing the ‘zero’ on his record.

“I remember I never cared about my record,” he told me. “Like, I never cared about protecting my record. I didn’t care if I ever lost. Like, I don’t care. You know? I technically lost my first fight, but I did feel like I won the fight for sure. But, yeah, the record doesn’t matter, I don’t care about that.”

The past is the past, and Jon is focused on his future, which includes this upcoming showdown at the legendary Saitama Super Arena, which he compared to the legendary arenas Lumpinee Stadium and Madison Square Garden where he previously competed.

“It’s kind of similar fighting in both of them. Madison Square Garden is one of my favorite places to fight at for sure because this feels like it’s like feels like home,” DiBella said. “I grew up fighting in New York, all my all my fights were in New York previously, so I fought five times at The Garden. I feel like it’s my home for sure. And, fighting at [Lumpinee], it’s also like my second home now, I fought there three times.”

“[Fighting at Saitama is] a dream come true, you know? I watched the old tapes of K-1 back in the day and that’s where kickboxing really started, you know, in the Saitama Super Arena where I’m fighting. I’m very excited for it.”

Fans of Muay Thai and kickboxing are as well, as the card in Saitama will be packed with top striking talent.

Headlined by Japanese star Takeru Segawa taking on Thai warrior Rodtang Jitmuangnon, the card also includes title fights between Tawanchai and Masaaki Noiri, Superlek and Nabil Anane, Adriano Moraes and Yuya Wakamatsu, and Phetjeeja against Kana Morimoto.

ONE 172 takes place Sunday, March 23rd, 2025 at 4am Japanese Standard Time, live on ONE Championship pay-per-view from Saitama Super Arena in Saitama, Japan.