"I wouldn't be surprised if he takes this easy" - Johan Ghazali says Colorado's altitude won't affect Superlek vs. Jonathan Haggerty
Johan Ghazali knows Superlek Kiatmoo9 is one of the most well-conditioned athletes on the planet and believes he won't have a problem with Colorado's high altitude.
'The Kicking Machine' will look to become a two-sport and two-division world champion when he challenges Jonathan Haggerty for the bantamweight Muay Thai crown in the main event of ONE 168: Denver this Friday.
One of the biggest storylines of this epic strike fest is Superlek's supposed disregard for 'The Mile High City's' dreaded elevation.
The flyweight kickboxing world champion just arrived in the 'Centennial State' last Sept. 1, less than a week before his clash with Haggerty at Ball Arena. 'The General, on the contrary, has been acclimatizing in Denver for the last three weeks.
In his ONE 168 pre-event interview with Nick Atkin, Ghazali said he doubts the altitude will be much of a problem for Superlek, who practically lives and breathes Muay Thai:
"I was pretty surprised [he came in late in Denver]. Especially Superlek since he's fighting Haggerty. But you know if anyone can pull it off, it will be Superlek. The experience he has, and they fight for fun."
'Jojo' continued:
"They have fought every week since they were kids. So I wouldn't be surprised if Superlek takes this easy."
Watch the full interview:
Johan Ghazali trains with Superlek and Seksan ahead of ONE 168
Before Superlek's attempt to dethrone Haggerty in the curtain closer of ONE 168, Ghazali will first trade heavy leather with Josue Cruz in a three-round flyweight Muay Thai war.
Now that 'The Kicking Machine' is in Denver, the Malaysian-American phenom took the opportunity to train with Superlek and another Thai warrior who will compete in the card, Seksan Or Kwanmuang. 'The Man Who Yields To No One' will take on fellow legend Liam Harrison.
The trio went on a 10-kilometer run and experienced Denver's infamous altitude. By the looks of it, these world-class warriors barely broke a sweat.
Tickets for ONE 168: Denver on Sept. 6 are available via Ticketmaster. The full event is free for Prime Video subscribers in North America.