"Everything else is just an extra" - Redemption seeking Johan Ghazali tuning out distractions ahead of ONE 168
Johan Ghazali only has eyes right now for getting his hand raised in his next fight to bounce back into the win column.
The teenage striking star has had a rapid rise through the ranks in ONE Championship but sometimes it's best to hit the brakes a bit.
His win streak came to a surprising end last time out at ONE 167 where he was defeated by Nguyen Tran Duy Nhat.
Ghazali fought with too much aggression and got ahead of himself, allowing his experienced opponent to let his years of competition separate the two men.
He is keen to rewrite these mistakes on his return to action at ONE 168 on September 6 where he takes on Josue Cruz.
Competing in the United States is obviously a huge bucket list moment for Ghazali but he's not letting that play into his mindset before fight night.
He's entering the Ball Arena in Denver with one goal in mind and that's securing the win by any means necessary.
He spoke in a recent interview with Sportskeeda MMA about avoiding any other elements of this fight right now:
"Of course. I'm slowing it down right now. My focus is 100 percent on training to make sure I bring my best into Denver. The fight is the focus, everything else is just an extra."
Johan Ghazali learned a few vital lessons at ONE 167
Suffering a defeat, especially at such a young age, isn't always a bad thing and that's the impact it appears to have had on Johan Ghazali.
Real champions are defined by how they deal with setbacks and come back from adversity.
If you aren't being tested in new ways each and every time, you're fighting the wrong people, and tasting defeat last time out could prove to be the making of Ghazali.
He intends to let his skills do the talking in his return to prove once again why he's one of the most exciting rising contenders in the striking world.
Tickets for ONE 168: Denver are available via Ticketmaster.