‘I Just Don’t Get Emotional Anymore’ – No Longer A Teenager, Zhang Peimian Has Reached His Prime
The last time “Fighting Rooster” Zhang Peimian faced Jonathan Di Bella, he was 19 years old, fighting for a World Title, and not yet ready for everything that came with it.
Nearly four years later, that version of him no longer exists.
On Friday, July 17, Zhang will challenge the reigning ONE Strawweight Kickboxing World Champion for the gold in the main event of The Inner Circle 22, which goes down live at the iconic Lumpinee Stadium in Bangkok, Thailand. It will stream exclusively for members via live.onefc.com.
The rematch is more than three and a half years in the making, and the Chinese fighter stepping into the ring this time is a fundamentally different competitor from the teenager who walked into the vacant ONE Strawweight Kickboxing World Title clash at ONE 162 in October 2022.
The first encounter was a genuine five-round war. Zhang, who was already considered one of the most gifted young strikers in the organization, went toe-to-toe with the Italian-Canadian southpaw and made him work for every inch. His trademark left hook and low kicks found a home on Di Bella throughout the contest.
Then came the fifth and final stanza. Di Bella landed a head kick that produced a crucial knockdown, a momentum-shifting moment that proved decisive when the judges rendered a unanimous decision for the Montreal native. “Fighting Rooster” left that night with a loss on his record, a World Title unclaimed, and lessons that could only be learned the hard way.
Now, ahead of his second shot at the gold, Zhang has had time to look back at the teenager who stepped into that fight and offer him something he did not have back then: perspective.
The 22-year-old reflected:
“I would tell him that there is no winning before the final bell rings. Give everything you have before that last second.”
Di Bella – a lifelong New York Knicks fan – arrives at this rematch in top form. The 29-year-old carries a 15-1 career record and currently rides a three-bout winning streak that has underlined his status as one of the most complete strikers on the planet.
Their initial encounter carried more than just a battle between two elite kickboxers. Di Bella’s attempts to get inside his rival’s head throughout the contest succeeded in ways that the young Chinese fighter was not equipped to handle at the time.
Nearly four years of experience, failure, and growth have sealed that particular vulnerability completely. Zhang’s skills have been refined in the gym, but the change he values most runs deeper than any technical upgrade.
He said:
“My weapons are sharpened, and my mind is stronger. He was taunting me during the whole fight, and I fell for it in the moment. It won’t happen again.”
Zhang Has Grown Beyond The Ring, No Longer Needs Validation
The years between the two ONE Strawweight Kickboxing World Title fights with Jonathan Di Bella did not just reshape Zhang Peimian as a fighter. They reshaped him as a person.
In fact, the highs of his early ONE Championship tenure, when his talent made him a beloved figure and his every move attracted attention and admiration, gave way to a prolonged period of public scrutiny that would have broken many young athletes.
Fans on social media turned on him during the toughest phase of his career with a ferocity that lasted the better part of two years. Zhang went through anger first, then curiosity, and eventually arrived somewhere that his younger self could never have imagined.
“Fighting Rooster” offered:
“When I first got to the top five at ONE Championship, people loved me like crazy. I couldn’t eat on my own because people were lining up to have dinner with me. Then, I was falling into a losing streak, and the amount of hate [I received on] social media was unbelievable.
“It lasted for two years. I was angry at first, and then I tried to understand, but eventually, I just enjoyed it. Now that I got a winning streak, and I got the title shot, more and more people started to show me love, but I just don’t get emotional anymore. I think I changed a lot mentally since the last time we fought.”
