"I'm glad I came early" - Johan Ghazali says his body is now used to Denver's harsh altitude

Johan Ghazali knew what to expect when he completed the final steps of his preparations for ONE 168.

However, Denver brings some challenges that truly have to be experienced in order to overcome them.

One of the biggest cards of the year goes down at the Ball Arena and that means fighting at altitude for all of the athletes involved.

This elevation puts a lot of strain on the lungs which, even for elite martial artists, can take some time to acclimatize to, combined with the jet lag.

Ghazali made sure to get out early for his bout against Josue Cruz where he is focused on ticking every box heading into fight night.

In a recent interview with Nick Atkin before Ghazali looks to put on a show for the US fans, he spoke about his experience dealing with the altitude for the first time in his career:

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"The first week was bad. It was hard to breathe. I came here fit so, it was [still] pretty bad. But after about a week, you know, [I got used to it]. Now I'm hundred percent. I'm glad I came early."

Watch the full interview below:

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Johan Ghazali is learning on the job

As we saw in his last fight at ONE 167, Johan Ghazali is still learning on the job as one of the most exciting young strikers in the sport.

He may have racked up wins on the Friday Fights series but the knockout artist is still a teenager who is evolving with each and every fight.

His first defeat under the ONE banner in his clash with Nguyen Tran Duy Nhat last time out showed that for all of his skill, he still has some rough edges that will be sanded down over time.

Ghazali will look to show that progression by defeating Josue Cruz on September 6 to get back into the win column.

Tickets for ONE 168: Denver are available via Ticketmaster.

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