ONE Friday Fights 58: defending champion Di Bella pulls out of kickboxing title bout at last minute, fails hydration test
- Italian-Canadian Jonathan Di Bella had been expected to defending hi strawweight crown against Prajanchai PKSanchaigym
- But the 27-year-old was reportedly sent to hospital after failing to meet ONE Championship protocols at the weigh-in
The ONE Friday Fights 58 co-main event is off after Jonathan Di Bella withdrew from his strawweight kickboxing title fight with Prajanchai PKSanchaigym at the last minute.
According to ONE Championship, the Italian-Canadian was having issues making weight and decided not to go ahead with the fight.
Officials said Di Bella had not passed his hydration tests, and opted not to fight.
“The ONE strawweight kickboxing world championship is now vacant,” officials said.
Di Bella’s team issued a statement saying the fighter had been taken to hospital, was still sick and “not able to step into the ring”.
As part of ONE Championship’s protocols strawweight fighters are required to weigh 125lbs or less and to prove heir hydration levels are 1.025 or less.
Di Bella became the inaugural ONE Championship strawweight champion in 2022, and successfully defended the belt last year. He was expected to put it on the line for the second time against Prajanchai in Bangkok.
Prajanchai is the reigning strawweight Muay Thai champion and had been hoping to add another title to his collection.
The Thai fighter will be in pole position to fight for the kickboxing title now that it is vacant, although he will have to wait.
The other title fight on the card remains intact. Superbon Singha Mawynn weighed in at 153lbs, while Marat Grigorian was 154.2lbs ahead of their interim featherweight kickboxing title fight, which is set at 155lbs. Both men passed hydration tests.
Separately, one-handed fighter Jake Peacock will make his ONE Championship debut against Kohei Shinjo in a bantamweight Muay Thai bout.
Both passed hydration tests and the Englishman, whose father Gavin Peacock played football for Chelsea and Newcastle United, weighed 144.6lbs while his opponent was 144lbs.
