“Don't have anything else on my mind” - Johan Ghazali has tunnel vision heading into must-win fixture in Denver
The only thing on Johan Ghazali's mind is leaving The Mile High City with his hand raised. After storming into ONE Championship with five straight wins—including four KOs—Ghazali suffered his first setback at ONE 167 in June, coming up short against Vietnamese standout Nguyen Tran Duy Nhat.
Since then, 'Jojo' has been hard at work, putting in time at the gym and preparing for his next challenge. On Friday, Sept. 6, Ghazali will head to The Centennial State as ONE Championship delivers yet another epic card in Colorado.
ONE 168: Denver will see two massive ONE world title fights and the long-awaited return of British Muay Thai sensation Liam 'Hitman' Harrison. But first, fight fans will be treated to a can't-miss clash as Johan Ghazali squares off with Mexican slugger Josue Cruz.
Speaking with Sportskeeda MMA in an exclusive interview, Ghazali made it clear that he is completely focused on beating his upcoming opponent and climbing back into the win column.
"Right now, I don't have anything else on my mind other than Josue Cruz," Ghazali said. "All the focus, attention, and everything is on him. I need to get back that win."
Josue Cruz seeking his first win in ONE against Johan Ghazali
Hoping to hand Ghazali his second-straight loss inside the Circle will be Josue Cruz, a fighter who went 17-0 on the regional scene before making his promotional debut in 2022.
Unfortunately, things haven't gone Cruz's way after he suffered knockouts against Walter Goncalves and Sean Climaco in his first two outings with the organization. Still, that hasn't dimmed the Mexican's confidence any and he's going into ONE 168: Denver determined to finally break through and have his hand raised on martial arts biggest global stage.
Will Cruz finally find his way into the win column under the ONE Championship banner, or will 'Jojo' get back to his winning ways and secure his sixth career victory inside the Circle?
Follow this link for tickets for ONE 168: Denver on Sept. 6 at Ball Arena.