Jonathan Di Bella Outclasses Peimian Zhang, Captures 125-Pound KB Title at ONE 162

Jonathan Di Bella DROPS "The Fighting Rooster" in the FINAL MINUTE! 🤯#ONE162 | #ONEChampionship
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— ONE Championship (@ONEChampionship) October 21, 2022

Italy can now boast of one more champion among the ranks of One Championship.

The One 162 main event featured a clash for the vacant kickboxing strawweight championship between Peimian Zhang and Jonathan Di Bella. The pair put on an entertaining back-and-forth battle, showing off their best offensive skills. Zhang answered the Italian’s fast hands with quick kicks as both contestants produced a remarkable striking output. Neither man backed down from relentless exchanges, nor could they gain a significant advantage as the battle progressed. In Round 5, Di Bella landed a perfectly timed head kick that nearly cold-cocked “The Fighting Rooster.” While the Chinese combatant beat the count, his legs were not entirely back underneath him. Di Bella ended the thriller on a high note with a lengthy salvo of blows, but he could not achieve the finish he was seeking. When the judges’ scores were read, the announcer revealed that Di Bella took home a unanimous decision to capture the vacant title.

His foot is a BALLOON! 😳#ONE162 | #ONEChampionship
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— ONE Championship (@ONEChampionship) October 21, 2022

In the co-headliner, Reece McLaren forced Windson Ramos to say “matte” after two rounds of combat. McLaren (16-8, 9-5 One) put on a composed and effective striking clinic, connecting on Ramos (5-2, 1 NC; 1-1 One) with a quick jab followed by low kicks. The John Wayne Parr protégé applied the same strategy for two rounds, all while blocking any sort of offense coming back at him. When Round 2 ended, Ramos showed a visible limp heading back to his corner due to a swollen foot. The damage proved too significant, and Ramos opted not to answer referee Herb Dean’s call for the third stanza. McLaren has now amassed back-to-back victories, and is 4-1 in his last five assignments.

Constantin Rusu goes up TOP! 😵#ONE162 | #ONEChampionship
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— ONE Championship (@ONEChampionship) October 21, 2022

Earlier on the card, Constantin Rusu upset Islam Murtazaev via unanimous decision in a 174-pound catchweight kickboxing affair; Gustavo Balart (11-4, 3-3 One) edged former One strawweight champion Alex Silva (12-8, 11-8 One) with a narrow split decision in a 131-pound catchweight contest; Frenchman Jimmy Vienot upended Niclas Larsen in their lightweight muay thai bout by unanimous decision; Eko Roni Saputra (7-1, 7-1 One) scored his seventh consecutive first-round submission by landing a heel hook on Yodkaikaew Fairtex at 2:16 into the opening frame; up-and-coming 145-pounder Artem Belakh (9-1, 1-0 One) outpointed Leandro Issa (17-9, 7-4 One) on all scorecards after a barnburner; Denis Puric outclassed Tagir Khalilov en route to a unanimous decision in a 138-pound muay thai catchweight collision; Ruslan Emilbek Uulu (19-3, 2-2 One) submitted Bellator MMA alum Benjamin Wilhelm (5-2, 0-2 One) via rear-naked choke with only two seconds left in the opening frame of their 185-pound encounter.