“He still has a lot of room to grow” - Aliff shares advice he gave to fellow Malaysian star Johan Ghazali
Malaysia went 1-1 at ONE Fight Night 32 last June 6 at Lumpinee Stadium in Bangkok, Thailand. The co-main event featured Aliff Sor Dechapan's title shot-clinching victory against the gutsy Elmehdi El Jamari in a pivotal three-round strawweight Muay Thai war.
However, the country's other golden boy, Johan 'Jojo' Ghazali, didn't have the same luck, losing a split decision verdict to veteran Diego Paez earlier in the event.
Aliff recently addressed his countryman's shortcomings in an interview with the Bangkok Post's Nick Atkin. According to the 21-year-old star, Ghazali should keep his head up, especially for accomplishing a lot at such a young age.
He stated:
"I think he’s still very young, and he still has a lot of room to grow. And he’s someone who made Malaysians know Muay Thai. That’s very important and he’s a great athlete and he has a long way more to go."
Moreover, Aliff revealed that he also cheered up 'Jojo' and shared his belief that the 18-year-old phenom has yet to scratch the surface of his true potential. He added:
"I told him not to stop, keep moving, and make tomorrow better than today."
Watch the interview in its entirety:
What's next for Aliff and Johan Ghazali after ONE Fight Night 32?
Aliff Sor Dechapan has now won four in a row. It also seems that a title shot against reigning two-sport kingpin Prajanchai PK Saenchai is all but confirmed after the heated staredown they shared at ONE Fight Night 32.
The Sor Dechapan pupil certainly brings an intriguing stylistic match-up against the Thai double champion, given his youth, length, and incredible talent.
On the other hand, it's back to the drawing board for Johan Ghazali. The Malaysian-American phenom has now dropped his last two contests, going 1-3 in his past four bouts.
It will be interesting to see how 'Jojo' responds to adversity and if he can get his career back on track in the stacked flyweight Muay Thai division.