“He’s not going to retreat and neither will I” - Josue Cruz says Johan Ghazali clash will be all gas and no brakes
Josue Cruz expects to "trade shots" with Johan Ghazali at ONE 168: Denver.
Next Friday, September 6, will represent a special night for ONE Championship. The Chatri Sityodtong-run promotion is scheduled to host an action-packed event inside the Ball Arena in Denver, Colorado, including two world title fights.
Earlier in the night, 17-year-old Johan Ghazali will make his seventh promotional appearance. The flyweight Muay Thai prospect will face Josue Cruz, who holds a 0-2 record in ONE, both losses by first-round knockout.
Cruz is undoubtedly considered the underdog in his matchup against Ghazali. During an interview with ONE, 'Tuzo' has this to say about refusing to back down against his 17-year-old opponent at ONE 168: Denver:
"He’s not going to retreat and neither will I. The fight is going to be filled with a lot of adrenaline and we’re going to trade shots.”
Josue Cruz made his ONE Championship debut in May 2022, suffering a 35-second knockout loss against Walter Goncalves. The Mexican-born Muay Thai fighter didn't return for two years until he suffered another first-round knockout loss, this time against Sean Climaco in May of this year.
Josue Cruz plans to spoil Johan Ghazali's comeback fight at ONE 168: Denver
Josue Cruz's promotional tenure hasn't gone as planned. The 28-year-old now looks to turn things around against Johan Ghazali, who also has added motivation to make a statement and return to the win column.
Ghazai's first ONE Championship bout took place in February 2023. The Malaysian-American won his first five promotional appearances, including four by knockout. In December 2023, 'Jojo' extended his ONE record to 5-0 with a 36-second knockout against Edgar Tabares in his debut on the main roster.
In June, the 17-year-old Ghazali suffered a setback due to a unanimous decision loss against Nguyen Tran Duy Nhat. The ONE flyweight Muay Thai prospect plans to silence the doubters and bounce back by taking out Cruz.
Tickets for ONE 168, including Ghazali vs Cruz, can be found on Ticketmaster.