At ONE Friday Fights 68, the reigning strawweight Muay Thai king Prajanchai PK Saenchai showcased his skills outside his realm of expertise by defeating former divisional kickboxing title holder Jonathan Di Bella via unanimous decision after five rounds of fight. 

The win added the vacant ONE Strawweight Kickboxing World Title to Prajanchai’s collection, as he achieved the incredible feat of becoming the two-sport world champion. In the process, he also put the first L on Di Bella’s professional record, stopping his undefeated record at 12 wins. 

In the post-fight interview with the media, Prajanchai explained how difficult it was to adjust from Muay Thai to kickboxing. He said, “It’s not too difficult. It’s doable, of course. I have spent a lot of time training so all the things that cannot be done in kickboxing, the elbows and the knees, we just omitted all of those. So it was a little bit of an adjustment, but of course, it could be done.“

The End Of Jonathan Di Bella’s Reign

Jonathan Di Bella arrived in the ONE Championship in October 2022, where he squared off against Zhang Peimian in the main event of ONE 162 for the inaugural ONE Strawweight Kickboxing World Title. The Italian-Canadian striker impressed in his debut on the global stage by extending his undefeated pro record to 11 wins. A year later, he successfully defended the belt against multi-sport Australian star Danial Williams at ONE Fight Night 15 to cement his place at the top of the division. 

However, his reign as champion abruptly came to an end earlier this year, as he fell ill before his originally scheduled match with Prajanchai at ONE Friday Fights 58 last April. As a result, he failed the weight and hydration tests required for the fight and was subsequently stripped of his belt. 

Now back and healthy, Di Bella was looking to continue his undefeated streak and reclaim the belt he previously held. Unfortunately, Prajanchai had other plans. The Thai veteran went on to share how he felt about being the first fighter to win over Di Bella in a professional kickboxing fight.

“Of course, I’m happy to get the victory tonight but it’s not just because I stopped his winning streak or anything. I feel like I did my best. I’m happier in that term. In this sport, it’s either this one person would loses and then another person who wins. There would not be a draw or anything. I feel like it’s just normal that another person lost or won this fight. But what’s more important to me is that I did my best today,” Prajanchai said.

Prajanchai’s Rise To Two-Sport Glory

There is no doubt that Prajanchai PK Saenchai is one of the best fighters coming out of Thailand with over 300 wins to his name. After claiming multiple Muay Thai World Titles in the Lumpinee and Rajadamnern Stadiums, he made his way to the global stage of ONE in July 2021. At ONE: Battleground, he defeated a fellow Thai legend in Sam-A Gaiyanghadao to win the ONE Strawweight Muay Thai World Title.

He lost the title to Joseph Lasiri in his first defense at ONE 157 in May 2022, but Prajanchai’s resilience shone through. After rebounding with an impressive win against compatriot Kompet Fairtex at ONE Friday Fights 1 in January 2023, he beat Sam-A once again to the interim gold at ONE Fights 22 six months later. 

As he awaited a World Title unification bout against Lasiri, Prajanchai dipped his toes in kickboxing and came out victorious against Akram Hamidi at ONE Friday Fights 34, setting the stage for a potential run at two-sport glory. 

After defeating Lasiri at ONE Friday Fights 46 last December to claim undisputed status in the Muay Thai division, Prajanchai set his sights on Di Bella. Now that he has defeated the former champ, he stands as one of the best in the world. 

However, the 29-year-old remains humble despite his latest incredible feat and insists that he doesn’t consider himself the best pound-for-pound fighter on the planet as he always feels all his opponents are better than him.

What do you think about Prajanchai PK Saenchai’s latest achievement? Let us know in the comments below.