"I'm looking for a challenge" - Johan Ghazali wants "a real fight" against come-forward opponent next
Johan Ghazali welcomes any challenge fresh off his impressive knockout win at ONE 168: Denver last Friday, Sept. 6. The 17-year-old secured his fifth victory inside the distance in Ball Arena, needing only three minutes to finish Mexican slugger Josue Cruz.
As an individual who's never short on confidence, the Malaysian-American superstar is raring to go again and wants an opposition who will test him to the fullest.
Johan Ghazali made his intentions known during the post-fight scrum in the Mile High City, stating:
"I'm looking for a challenge, a real fight. I'm not saying my last fight before this wasn't a challenge."
Immediately after the quick night out, which bagged him a US $50,000 performance bonus, 'Jojo' shifted his attention to two names in particular, young gun Freddie Haggerty and tough-as-nails veteran Denis Puric.
Haggerty and the No.2-ranked flyweight Muay Thai contender have both responded on Instagram to Johan's callout, ready to set up what should be an instant classic alongside the Malaysian-based martial artist.
Watch the full interview here:
Johan Ghazali admits recent setback spurred him to dominant win at ONE 168
Despite having his back against the wall after going down to Nguyen Tran Duy Nhat in his prior fight, Johan Ghazali says the loss only served as a motivational tool to ensure he brought the absolute best version of himself to Denver.
In the aforementioned interview, he continued:
"I'm not a stranger to loss. I've lost in fights before. I've lost in the gym. I've lost in life. Everyone loses. Don't judge me on how I come back from my wins. Judge me on how I come back from my losses. Losing is normal. If you're not losing, you're not trying hard enough."
The ONE 168: Denver replay is available on Amazon Prime Video to active subscribers in the United States and Canada.
ONE Championship returns to the US with ONE 169: Atlanta on November 8. Tickets are currently on sale on Ticketmaster.