"I'm excited to show the world what I can do" - Johan Ghazali out to prove why he deserves a spot on ONE's world-class roster
17-year-old Johan Ghazali has already made a big impression through his time at ONE Championship, but the young gun refuses to rest on his laurels with another big fight on the way.
The Rentap Muaythai Gym upstart goes toe-to-toe with Nguyen Tran Duy Nhat in a flyweight Muay Thai bout at ONE 167. Their scheduled three-round tie will unfold inside the Impact Arena in Bangkok, Thailand.
After securing three highlight-reel wins from four outings on ONE Friday Fights inside the Lumpinee Boxing Stadium, the Sarawakian fighter earned his spot to compete on the grandest platform of martial arts.
As he did through his impressive run on the promotion's weekly spectacle inside the Thai capital, he made the most of his American primetime debut with a 36-second knockout of Edgar Tabares this past December.
Now, just weeks out from his second U.S. primetime show, Johan Ghazali remains as thrilled as ever to produce another magical moment inside the Circle.
Speaking to the South China Morning Post, the teenager shared:
"I'm excited to show the world what I can do. I'm looking forward to showing the people that I belong here."
Johan Ghazali praises ONE's four-ounce gloves
There's nothing more dangerous than a striker with knockout power at their fingertips. And Johan Ghazali certainly fits into that category.
Still only 17, his ability to put opponents to sleep has been a thing of beauty.
However, the Malaysian-American phenom believes it takes two to tango, and he credits ONE Championship's 4-ounce gloves as a factor that has tremendously aided his already potent knockout power.
In the same interview, he said:
"The small gloves really help me because one shot can change the whole fight."
Scarily for his opponents, he's still yet to reach the peak of his powers, and one can only imagine how much growth and development the young star will show in the coming years.
For now, tune in to his fight against Nguyen at ONE 167, which will be available to North American fans with an active Amazon Prime Video subscription for free.