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Taiki Naito has called out Jonathan Di Bella for ONE Championship’s vacant flyweight kickboxing title after avenging his defeat by Kongthoranee Sor Sommai in Bangkok on Saturday.
The 30-year-old dropped Kongthoranee with a left hook late in the third round on his way to a unanimous decision in their ONE Fight Night 49 co-main event at Lumpinee Stadium. All three judges scored it 29-27.
“I’m super happy. My time is coming,” Naito told the Bangkok Post in English after the fight.
“I am not the underdog [any more]. 100 per cent next fight is the title shot. Only title shot, OK? Next year.
“Di Bella. Good? Jonathan Di Bella, you are a good fighter. Next month you have a [strawweight] title defence. Next year, flyweight title shot with me at ONE Samurai.”
Di Bella is expected to defend his strawweight kickboxing title at ONE 174 in December, according to ONE chairman and CEO Chatri Sityodtong.
The Italian-Canadian was due to challenge Superlek Kiatmoo9 for the flyweight title at ONE Samurai 4 in October. The bout fell through after Superlek tore his ACL, an injury that prompted him to relinquish the belt.
Kongthoranee had won their first meeting by unanimous decision under Muay Thai rules at ONE Friday Fights 37 in October 2023.
Kongthoranee Sor Sommai kicks to the body as Taiki Naito (left) throws a left hand in their flyweight kickboxing rematch at ONE Fight Night 49
This time, Naito took the opening round with his counters. Kongthoranee rocked him in the second to level the fight at 19-19 on all three cards.
“It hurt a little bit but I had expected some kind of damage from Kongthoranee already,” Naito said through an interpreter. “I knew it was going to be a hard fight, so I prepared for this.”
“Going into the third round, you can see Kongthoranee was flowing and controlling the fight,” he added. “But I heard my trainer in my corner. He told me, ‘This is your time’, and I believed in my punches. I landed the full hook on Kongthoranee.”
Kongthoranee Sor Sommai (left) and Taiki Naito acknowledge each other after the final bell of their flyweight kickboxing rematch at ONE Fight Night 49
The knockdown came in the closing stages after Kongthoranee dropped his hands and invited Naito to trade.
“I didn’t see it was a bad thing to do because it also helped to entertain the crowd,” Naito said of the gesture. “This was a fight where two fighters were building it up.”
“Before I used to be mainly focused on countering,” he added. “The new Taiki Naito, I would like to prove I can also trade punches and win. I want to say I’m a good all-rounder, not just a counter striker.”
Jonathan Di Bella celebrates with the ONE strawweight kickboxing belt after beating Prajanchai at ONE Fight Night 36 (1). Taiki Naito has called for a fight with Di Bella for the vacant flyweight title
It was Naito’s fourth straight win across Muay Thai and kickboxing. The run, which includes a victory over the previously unbeaten Hyu Iwata at ONE Samurai 1, is the longest of his career, Naito said.
“There is no other flyweight kickboxer that comes to my mind,” Naito said when asked who else he would face for the belt, “because I have beaten them all.”
