“It will be a sort of homecoming for me” - Johan Ghazali ready to bring his explosive brand of Muay Thai to Denver
Fast-rising ONE Championship star Johan Ghazali will be making his United States debut next month in a homecoming of sorts, and he wants to do well in front of a wider American audience.
The 17-year-old phenom is featured in a flyweight Muay Thai match at ONE 168 in Denver, Colorado, on Sept. 6. He will be going up against Mexican fighter Josue Cruz in the event happening at the 21,000-seater Ball Arena and airing live and for free in U.S. primetime to North American fans with an active Amazon Prime Video subscription.
In an interview with Borneo Post Online ahead of his scheduled return to action, Johan Ghazali spoke about the significance of his upcoming match, not only in his career but also personally.
The Rentap Muaythai Gym standout said:
"This is my first time fighting in the U.S. but I have been to Colorado a few times where my mother, Jennana Lynn Thompson, comes from and it will be a sort of homecoming for me and I want to do well here."
Johan Ghazali will be going for a bounce-back victory at ONE 168 after absorbing his first defeat in six matches in ONE Championship in June at the hands of veteran Vietnamese fighter Nguyen Tran Duy Nhat.
Waiting for him, meanwhile, is Cruz, who is out to get a breakthrough win after losing his first two fights since making his promotional debut in May 2022.
Tickets for ONE 168: Denver are available on Ticketmaster.
Johan Ghazali says he has made changes to his game following first setback
Following his first setback in ONE Championship last time around, Johan Ghazali said he and his team have made some changes to his game for his United States debut at ONE 168: Denver on Sept. 6.
'Jojo' enters the contest against Mexican Josue Cruz off his first loss in ONE in June, where he bowed to Nguyen Tran Duy Nhat of Vietnam by unanimous decision.
In an interview with Sportskeeda MMA in line with his match at ONE 168, Ghazali provided details on how training has been for him, saying:
"Yes, yes, of course. We've implemented a lot of things. We've trained our footwork, how to move forward, how to cut off the circle, and yeah, we've changed a few things."
Prior to losing in his last match, Johan Ghazali strung up five straight victories, four coming by way of kncokout.