Johan Ghazali admits Nguyen Tran Duy Nhat loss served as a wake-up call: “The defeat has made me stronger”
Johan Ghazali says he is "more motivated and feels more hungry" following his loss against Nguyen Tran Duy Nhat.
In February 2023, Ghazali made his ONE Championship debut. The Malaysian-American started with four wins on the Friday Fight Series, including three by knockout, before joining the main roster.
'Jojo' quickly proved he belonged with a 36-second knockout against former flyweight title challenger Edgar Tabares.
On June 7, Ghazali looked to extend his run on the global stage. Unfortunately for him, Nguyen had other plans and secured a unanimous decision at ONE 167, handing the 17-year-old his first promotional loss.
Here's what 'Jojo' said about the loss to Nguyen during an interview with the Borneo Post Online:
"The defeat has made me stronger, after losing to Nguyen, I upped my training, I trained harder, I am more motivated and feel more hungry to win.”
Johan Ghazali's goal remains the same - capture the ONE flyweight Muay Thai world championship.
The 17-year-old's loss at ONE 167 will serve as a crucial learning experience, as he has plenty of time to continue evolving. He now looks to bounce back in his seventh promotional appearance next month.
Johan Ghazali plans to bounce back at ONE 168
On September 6, ONE Championship will travel to the Ball Arena in Denver, Colorado for a stacked fight card.
ONE 168: Denver features two world title fights and several action-packed matchups for the promotion's return to North America.
Earlier in the night, ONE will showcase their next generation of talent, including 21-year-old Johan Estupinan, 18-year-old Adrian Lee, and 17-year-old Johan Ghazali.
Ghazali will have added motivation to showcase an impressive performance after losing last time out. 'Jojo' has been matched up against Josue Cruz, who holds a 0-2 promotional record.
It'll be intriguing to see if Cruz can pull off the massive upset and secure the first win of his ONE tenure.
Tickets for the highly-anticipated ONE 168: Denver can be found on Ticketmaster.