"He's the best" - Johan Ghazali certain Superlek will leave a lasting impression at ONE 168: Denver on September 6
Johan Ghazali, like most fans, was beyond thrilled when the massive showdown between Superlek Kiatmoo9 and Jonathan Haggerty was made official on September 6 for the co-main event of ONE 168: Denver.
After all, everyone is going to be treated to an all-time classic fight for the ONE bantamweight Muay Thai world title on ONE Championship's second on-ground event in the United States.
The 17-year-old Malaysian-American phenom recently appeared on the South China Morning Post's YouTube channel and discussed the match. Johan Ghazali also picked 'The Kicking Machine' over 'The General' because he believes that he is currently the best fighter in the world.
The Rentap Muaythai Gym representative explained:
"Superlek honestly, he's the best. I think he's the most versatile fighter. He can fight against any style, against anyone, and yeah, he's very versatile. Even in kickboxing, his best strikes are his elbows and knees. He always finds a way to transition to his kicks from his head movement and punches."
Both Superlek and Haggerty are riding their respective win streaks, as the former has nine straight wins while the latter has six successive triumphs. The main difference between the two is that Haggerty holds two world titles in two different sports.
Johan Ghazali kicked off preparation to fight Nguyen Tran Duy Nhat on June 7 at ONE 167
Since making his promotional debut under the world's largest martial arts organization in 2023, Johan Ghazali has been pitted in five bouts and has swept all of them by beating Padetsuk Fairtex, Tai Sor Jor Piek Uthai, Samurai Seeopal, Temirlan Bekmurzaev, and Edgar Tabares.
On June 7, the 17-year-old phenom will be fighting the gutsy veteran Nguyen Tran Duy Nhat in a flyweight Muay Thai fight as part of the ONE 167 card, which is set to go down inside the Impact Arena in Bangkok, Thailand.
ONE 167 is available live and for free to all Prime Video subscribers in North America on June 7. Johan Ghazali will star alongside the likes of Stamp Fairtex, Denice Zamboanga, Tawanchai PK Saenchai, and Jo Nattawut.