"He has a lot more work to do" - Denis Puric gets candid about potential showdown with teenage phenom Johan Ghazali
Denis Puric believes Johan Ghazali doesn't deserve a ranked opponent yet.
In December 2023, Ghazali first fought on the ONE Championship main roster after establishing a 4-0 promotional record on the ONE Friday Fights series. The 17-year-old Malaysian-American quickly put the flyweight Muay Thai division on notice with a 36-second knockout against former title challenger Edgar Tabares.
Ghazali has earned the respect of many fans and fighters, but one flyweight Muay Thai contender doesn't think he's ready for a step up in competition. During an interview with the South China Morning Post, number two-ranked Puric had this to say about 'Jojo':
"Don't get me wrong, he has great potential to be a star. But he has a lot more work to do. Maybe later down the road, if he keeps winning I'd be more than glad to share the ring with him. But right now, I feel like he hasn't done enough to fight us ranked guys yet."
As shown above, Puric respects Ghazali but doesn't think the 17-year-old has fully paid his dues. Meanwhile, 'The Bosnian Menace' has solidified himself as a top flyweight Muay Thai contender by fighting several high-level fighters, including a unanimous decision win against Jacob Smith on April 5 at ONE Fight Night 21.
Watch Denis Puric's entire interview with the South China Morning Post below:
Denis Puric and Johan Ghazali scheduled to fight at same upcoming event
Denis Puric and Johan Ghazali will compete in separate fights on June 7 at ONE 167. Firstly, Ghazali looks to continue building momentum by taking out Nguyen Tran Duy Nhat. With a win next month, 'Jojo' could potentially enter the flyweight Muay Thai ranking.
As for Puric, he utilized his impressive performance against Jacob Smith to call out ONE flyweight Muay Thai world champion Rodtang. Instead of a title shot, 'The Bosnian Menace' will face Rodtang in a kickboxing bout.
ONE 167 goes down inside the Impact Arena in Bangkok, Thailand. The event featuring two world title fights can be seen live and for free by North American and Canadian viewers with an active Amazon Prime Video subscription.