"I hope to get one in the second round" - Johan Ghazali eyes Josue Cruz KO in Denver
Johan Ghazali looks to secure a bounce-back knockout win at ONE 168: Denver.
Ghazali, a 17-year-old Malaysian-American, made his ONE Championship debut in February 2023. The highly-touted prospect quickly made a name for himself with four consecutive wins, including three by knockout, on the Friday Fights series, leading to a lucrative six-figure contract on the primary roster.
In his American primetime debut, 'Jojo' pushed his promotional record to 5-0 with a 36-knockout win against Edgar Tabares at ONE Fight Night 17.
Unfortunately for him, he suffered a setback last time out at ONE 167, as the battle-tested veteran Nguyen Tran Duy Nhat pushed the 17-year-old to the limit before handing him his first loss under the ONE banner.
On September 6, Ghazali has an opportunity to put the bantamweight division back on notice when he faces Josue Cruz at ONE 168: Denver. During an interview with Astro Awani, 'Jojo' had this to say about his upcoming fight:
"I hope I do my best. I hope, at least, like all my fights, I will get a KO. For this fight, I hope to get one in the second round."
ONE 168: Denver goes down inside the Ball Arena , representing the promotion's return to North America. Tickets for the highly-anticipated event featuring Johan Ghazali vs Josue Cruz can be found here.
Watch Ghazali's entire interview with Astron Awani below:
Johan Ghazali's path to ONE Muay Thai title shot
At 17 years old, Johan Ghazali's world championship potential doesn't take much of a hit after losing against the gritty Nguyen Tran Duy Nhat.
With that said, the Malaysian-American's path to a title shot does change slightly.
Firstly, Ghazali must focus on defeating Josue Cruz at ONE 168: Denver. On paper, 'Jojo' should be able to secure a knockout win against Cruz but overlooking a fighter on the ONE Championship roster could lead to a massive mistake.
Assuming he wins on September 6, Ghazali could need another win or two before facing a ranked opponent. Once he fights someone in the top five, it's only a matter of time before he fights for the ONE flyweight Muay Thai world title.