“Cutting out every attack” - KO machine Johan Ghazali envisions how his scrap vs. Josue Cruz will unfold at ONE 168: Denver
Teen phenom Johan Ghazali plans to bring the fight to Josue Cruz.
On Friday, September 6, 'Jojo' returns to the Circle determined to climb back into the win column after coming up short in his last outing against Vietnamese standout Nguyen Tran Duy Nhat. This time out, Ghazali meets Mexican slugger Josue Cruz in a battle of two fighters in desperate need of a win.
Speaking with ONE Championship ahead of their highly anticipated clash at ONE 168: Denver, Ghazali offered some thoughts on how he sees things playing out when the pair of exciting prospects scrap in The Mile High City.
"It’s going to be me bringing the fight to him, and cutting out every attack," Ghazali said. "But I can see him sneaking in a couple of punches or kicks maybe, but that will give me the chance to counter with more power."
Ghazali will make his seventh walk to the Circle with a solid 5-1 record, including four highlight-reel knockouts.
Josue Cruz is confident he can bag his first ONE Championship win against Johan Ghazali
Going 17-0 on the regional scene before making his debut on martial arts' biggest global stage, Josue Cruz has failed to see his hand raised in his first two outings with the promotion, suffering back-to-back KO losses against Walter Goncalves and Sean Climaco.
Undeterred, Cruz insists that his setbacks have only helped him improve, and he's more than confident that he'll come out on top against 'Jojo' in The Centennial State this Friday night.
“My mentality is stronger now, Cruz told the promotion in a recent interview. "Sometimes you think that losses will set you back, but they’ve matured me as a fighter. They’ve made me realize how I need to fight and what I need to change. I’ve made sure to make some changes in both my mental and physical training."
ONE 168: Denver will air live on Amazon Prime Video in U.S. primetime in both the United States and Canada on Friday, September 6. Follow this link for tickets to attend the event live at Ball Arena.