“That fight in me came down from him” – Johan Ghazali says his feverish drive comes from war hero grandfather
17-year-old Malaysian sensation 'Jojo' Johan Ghazali is one of the fastest-rising martial arts stars in the world. Ghazali says it all comes from his grandfather, a war hero whom he credits for his unbreakable fighting spirit.
In a recent interview with ONE Championship, Ghazali gave props to his grandfather, who he looks up to.
'Jojo' said:
"My granddad on my daddy's side is a war hero, a true veteran. You can easily search him up on Google. He's done tremendous things for the country during his service, and I think maybe that fight in me really came down from him."
His grandfather was Tan Sri Dato' Sri Mohd Ghazali bin Che Mat, a high-ranking general in the Malaysian armed forces and a well-respected figure in Malaysia.
Ghazali wants to make his grandfather proud in his next fight.
'Jojo' Johan Ghazali is set to face dangerous Vietnamese fighter Nguyen Tran Duy Nhat at ONE 167: Stamp vs. Zamboanga on Prime Video.
The event broadcasts live from the Impact Arena in Bangkok, Thailand.
Fans in the United States and Canada can catch all the action live and absolutely free on Friday, June 7, U.S. primetime, on Amazon Prime Video.
Stay tuned to Sportskeeda MMA for all the latest news and updates on the event as it happens.
'Jojo' Johan Ghazali won't underestimate Nguyen Tran Duy Nhat at ONE 167: "He's a veteran and I'm just a youngster"
Teenage superstar 'Jojo' Johan Ghazali says he will not let success get to his head and promises to respect all his opponents, especially his next one, the dangerous Nguyen Tran Duy Nhat.
Ghazali wisely puts things into perspective and approaches this fight carefully. He told Sportskeeda MMA:
"I cannot underestimate Nguyen [Tran Duy Nhat] for what he's done. I mean, he's a veteran and I'm just a youngster. I may be coming in with a lot of knockouts, wins, and all that, but I'm not taking this fight lightly, especially against Nguyen."