“A victory for Malaysia” - Young phenom Johan Ghazali promises to dominate “more experienced” Diego Paez in Bangkok
Johan Ghazali is determined to give his Malaysian faithful another reason to celebrate when he steps between the ropes in Bangkok.
The Malaysian-American phenom will square off against Diego Paez in a critical flyweight Muay Thai matchup at ONE Fight Night 32 on Friday, US primetime, at the historic Lumpinee Stadium.
In a video he shared on Instagram, Ghazali admitted that he'll be in for a tough outing against the more experienced Paez in Bangkok.
Paez (30) is 13 years older than Ghazali, and captured multiple titles in the amateur and professional circuits before debuting in ONE Championship in 2025.
Nevertheless, the teenage phenom plans to dominate his grizzled opponent in one of combat sports' most hallowed grounds.
Ghazali said:
"You know, this fight isn’t an easy fight. I am facing an American-Colombian fighter, Diego Paez. He’s almost a decade older than I. He’s more experienced. Insya-Allah, come fight night, this will be a victory for Malaysia."
Ghazali has a stellar mark of six wins, with five knockouts, in his ONE Championship, and he looks to recover from a disappointing loss in his last outing.
The 18-year-old suffered a unanimous decision defeat against fellow phenom Johan Estupinan in their flyweight matchup at ONE 170 in January.
Ghazali and Estupinan exchanged knockdowns in their three-round banger, but the Colombian sensation had the match won through his sheer aggression late in the fight.
With a bitter memory lingering in his psyche, Ghazali is hellbent on returning to the win column with an emphatic victory over Paez.
ONE Fight Night 32 is available live and free to all Prime Video subscribers in the United States and Canada.
Johan Ghazali confident he can overwhelm Diego Paez with his aggression at ONE Fight Night 32
Johan Ghazali always operated at a breakneck pace, and he plans to run circles around Diego Paez in their Bangkok banger.
In an interview with Sportskeeda MMA, Ghazali said his aggression and knockout power will dictate his match against the Colombian-American veteran. He said:
"I think this fight will be won based on my knockout power and my ability to stay away from his attacks. Fight-IQ wise, or knockout, I know I have the edge in these areas against him."