Jonathan Di Bella Vs Zhang Peimian Rematch At The Inner Circle 22

Jonathan Di Bella and Zhang Peimian will meet again nearly four years after their first fight, with the reigning ONE Strawweight Kickboxing World Champion defending his belt in the main event of The Inner Circle 22 on Friday, July 17, live on live.onefc.com.

The pair first fought in October 2022 for the vacant ONE Strawweight Kickboxing World Title. Zhang, then 19, pushed Di Bella hard before a late knockdown in round five helped the Italian-Canadian claim gold in his promotional debut. That result has shaped the rematch, with Di Bella now set for another test against the Chinese striker.

Di Bella expects a tougher Zhang

Di Bella said he expects a sharper and more motivated opponent this time. "It's an exciting fight. Zhang is an exciting fighter, and it's an exciting fight for the fans. The first one was fire, and this one will be fire as well," Di Bella said. The champion believes revenge will drive Zhang in the second meeting.

Zhang, now 22, enters with a 20-5 career record and six wins in ONE Championship. The southpaw from Shengli Fight Club has a 5-1 mark in ONE and has used the years since the loss to improve his game. Di Bella believes age and experience will make him a different challenge from the teenager he first faced.

Champion leans on experience

Di Bella also pointed to his own progress since that night in 2022. He said he is bigger, stronger, and better prepared after five World Title fights. "Now, I'm a bit bigger and stronger, and I have the experience. I've fought World Champions. I've had five World Title fights since then. I feel like the experience helped," Di Bella said.