“Just the complete package” - Johan Ghazali sings praise for ‘outstanding fighter’ Tawanchai ahead of ONE 167 return
Malaysian-American Muay Thai phenom Johan Ghazali is impressed with the skillset of ONE featherweight Muay Thai world champion Tawanchai PK Saenchai and is not all surprised that he is widely recognized as one of the best in the game.
'Jojo' said so in an interview with Sportskeeda MMA in the lead-up to ONE 167: Stamp vs Zamboanga on June 7 at the Impact Arena in Bangkok, Thailand, where he and Tawanchai will both be in action, albeit against separate opponents.
Tawanchai will be defending his world title against veteran Thai fighter 'Smokin' Jo Nattawut in the co-headlining event, while Ghazali will battle the Vietnamese Nguyen Tran Duy Nhat in a flyweight Muay Thai clash.
In an interview with Sportskeeda MMA, the 17-year-old Rentap Muaythai Gym affiliate said of Tawanchai:
"He's one of the best out there, man. He fights with really good technicality, calculated aggression, and has power, too. Just the complete package which makes him such an outstanding fighter."
At ONE 167, Tawanchai will be making his third defense of the title he seized from former ONE featherweight Muay Thai king Petchmorakot Petchyindee in September 2022.
Johan Ghazali, meanwhile, is out to extend his undefeated in ONE Championship. Currently, he is on a five fight win-streak. His latest win came last December, where he secured a 36-second knockout of Edgar Tabares.
ONE 167: Stamp vs Zamboanga will air live and for free to all Prime Video subscribers in the United States and Canada.
Johan Ghazali is excited to be fighting in the same card as Stamp Fairtex
Apart from Tawanchai PK Saenchai, another world champion that Johan Ghazali has high regard for is Stamp Fairtex, and he is excited to be competing on a ONE Championship card that will be headlined by the Thai superstar.
Stamp will headline ONE 167 on June 7 in Bangkok, Thailand. There she will defend the ONE atomweight MMA world title against No. 2 contender Denice Zamboanga of the Philippines.
Speaking to the South China Morning Post, Ghazali shared his excitement to be competing on the same night as Stamp, whose career he has followed since picking up Muay Thai.
He said:
"Looking at the card, it's crazy to see. Sometimes I look at the card and I sock myself, you know. When I started fighting in Muay Thai in 2018, you know, Stamp was double-champ then. She was at the top. Now I'm fighting on the same card as her. It's crazy."
Johan Ghazali made his ONE debut in February 2023 and has been unblemished in five fights to date. Of his victories, four came by way of KO.