“I was going to go out there to win” - Diego Paez says unwavering confidence led to calculated stunner over Johan Ghazali
Colombian-American slugger Diego Paez produced one of the biggest upsets of the night at the recently concluded ONE Fight Night 32 inside the Lumpinee Stadium in Bangkok, Thailand.
The South California native bagged a split decision win over fan-favorite Johan Ghazali in their Muay Thai joust to secure his maiden victory on the global stage of ONE Championship.
Having dropped a narrow split decision to Filipino-American warrior Sean Climaco in his promotional bow this February, the former WCK champion brought in a different fire into his sophomore outing.
Though he was up against 'Jojo's' knockout power from the get-go, Diego Paez showed no respect for his foe's trademark tool from the get-go. He worked in effective counters whenever the Superbon Training Camp and Rentap Muaythai Gym man came head-hunting, but his most brilliant trait came in the form of his movement.
The 31-year-old flyweight Muay Thai talent used his head movement to stay out of harm's way, and his footwork allowed him to chip in with elbows, knees, and punches when it mattered on his way to a split decision win that improved his overall resume to 8-3.
Diego Paez told Nick Atkin backstage shortly after the tie that his game plan to stay away from Johan's heavy hands was crafted to perfection. Moreover, with his setback to Sean Climaco serving as a motivational factor, the Colombian-American admitted he had his radar fully locked on a victory at all costs.
"Absolutely, yes. It was all part of the plan, you know. I believed in myself. I'm fully confident. I knew I was going to go out there to win. And I'm so happy to do it against such a respectable name," he offered.
Watch Diego Paez's full interview here:
Superbon certain Johan Ghazali will bounce back from tough defeat to Diego Paez
Johan Ghazali, who was forced to take a third defeat from four outings, is in desperate need of a bounce-back win when he returns next.
But given his age, mentality, and ability to pick up new tricks at a rapid pace, it shouldn't take the 18-year-old sensation long to rediscover the form that made him one of the hottest Muay Thai prospects today. Even ONE featherweight kickboxing world champion Superbon thinks so.
The Thai veteran, who's guided Johan through two assignments in ONE Championship, is confident his star student will be back in business and work his way towards his dream of hoisting 26 pounds of gold in the future.
"'Jojo' is like 18. He still has a lot of time to be the best, to be the champion. I think he will be the champion for sure, because his mindset is really good," Superbon said during an interview posted on ONE's official Instagram account (@onechampionship).
Check out the post below:
North American fans can catch the entire ONE Fight Night 32 card via replay on Amazon Prime Video. Alternatively, head over to watch.onefc.com if you missed another entertaining night from the legendary Mecca of Muay Thai in Bangkok, Thailand.