“I hope that I gained more fans” - Johan Ghazali elated for chance at delighting American audience in Denver

Johan Ghazali hopes that his impressive performance in the Mile High City earned him a few more American fans.

Emanating from Ball Arena in Dever, Colorado, ONE 168 saw the 17-year-old teen phenom bounce back in a big way, securing a buzzer-beating first-round knockout against Mexican slugger Josue Cruz.

​

Speaking with the promotion following his sixth career win under the ONE banner, Ghazali was thrilled for the opportunity to help expose more of the world to the art of eight limbs and add to his fanbase:

​

​

​

"I hope that I gained more fans here in the West, you know. I hope that they see how entertaining Muay Thai really is, and I feel honored."

With the win over Cruz, Johan Ghazali improved to 6-1 in ONE Championship with five of his victories coming by way of knockout.

​

---

Johan Ghazali survived some early adversity and bagged another 50K bonus at ONE 168: Denver

​

Though he ultimately came out on top —adding another stellar KO to his resume —Ghazali had to overcome some early adversity after eating a few shots from the Mexican standout in the opening moments.

Ghazali revealed:

​

​

​

"So he hit me with the good shots a couple of times. I got a bloody nose. But, you know, I keep coming. I keep coming. I don't give up. I don't give up easy. So, yeah."

That never-back-down approach led to both a victory for Ghazali and a $50,000 bonus from ONE Chairman and CEO Chatri Sityodtong. Not a bad night at the office for the teen phenom.

​

Working his way up the talent-rich flyweight Muay Thai division, ONE Champions fans are eager to see what's next for the rising Malaysian-American scrapper.

If you missed any of the action, ONE Championship fans in the United States and Canada can watch the ONE 168: Denver replay on demand via Amazon Prime Video.

​