“I'm ready to be active” - Johan Ghazali wants all the smoke with renewed vigor ahead of ONE 168
Teen phenom Johan Ghazali is coming off his first defeat under the ONE Championship banner and is seeking to redeem himself with his improved game when he returns to action this week in the United States.
The 17-year-old Malaysian-American fighter seeks to earn a bounce-back victory at ONE 168 in Denver, Colorado, on Sept. 6 in a flyweight Muay Thai clash against Mexican Josue 'Tuzo' Cruz. The contest is part of the 11-fight offering slated to take place at the Ball Arena in the "Mile High City."
In a conversation with combat sports journalist Nick Atkin ahead of ONE 168, Johan Ghazali spoke about what took place in his previous fight and how it influenced his preparation and mindset for his return match.
'Jojo' said:
"You know, even before that fight, I had a long way over. I had like, six, seven months off before that fight, because I was finishing school, finishing a bunch of stuff. So, yeah, it was a good warm-up. You know, I'm back. I'm ready to be active. Ready to fight almost as soon as I can. I'm already planning for this next fight. So, yeah, I'm ready."
Watch the interview below:
In his last fight back in June, Johan Ghazali lost to veteran Vietnamese fighter Nguyen Tran Duy Nhat by unanimous decision. It was his first defeat in six matches since debuting in ONE Championship in February last year.
Waiting for the Rentap Muaythai Gym representative at ONE 168 is 28-year-old Cruz, who is out for a breakthrough victory after losing his first two matches in the promotion.
ONE 168: Denver will air live and for free in U.S. primetime to North American fans with an active Amazon Prime Video subscription. Tickets for the event, meanwhile, are available for purchase via Ticketmaster.
Johan Ghazali out to throw in some surprises at ONE 168
Johan Ghazali is gunning for a rebound victory at ONE 168: Denver on Sept. 6 and while at it, he vows to throw in some surprises.
He shared this in an interview with ONE Championship ahead of his showdown against Josue Cruz in the Denver event, one of five Muay Thai matches on offer at the promotion's second live on-ground show in the United States.
'Jojo' said:
"I want to do work with my hands, pressure him, break his defense, and have fun. But who knows, there could be a head kick or something that fans have never seen before."
Johan Ghazali is looking to swing back to the win column at ONE 168: Denver after his five-fight winning streak was halted in his last fight in June.