WATCH: Teenage phenom Johan Ghazali unloads ferocious power in dominant stoppage win over Temirlan Bekmurzaev
Johan Ghazali earned his six-figure contract with ONE Championship when he defeated Temirlan Bekmurzaev in October 2023 at ONE Friday Fights 36 in front of the Lumpinee Stadium crowd in Bangkok, Thailand.
Highlights of this outstanding performance by Ghazali was recently posted by the world's largest martial arts organization on Instagram, alongside the caption:
"Before Johan Ghazali takes on Josue Cruz at ONE 168: Denver, enjoy highlights from his wild clash with Temirland Bekmurzaev! 🔥 @johanghazali_"
This flyweight Muay Thai showcase was filled with powerful exchanges from both fighters, and they went toe-to-toe in multiple junctures of the match, eating each other's strikes.
But the 17-year-old found the breakthrough in the second frame when he landed a beautiful body punch against his Russian opponent, permanently putting him down on the canvas and making him unable to continue.
It was Ghazali's fourth straight victory in the promotion and his third knockout finish, which were enough to crack a spot on the roster and showcase his talent to the global audience by being part of primetime events.
Johan Ghazali wants to unleash all his fight arsenal against Josue Cruz at ONE 168: Denver
The Malaysian-American rising star is ready to make his return on Sept. 6 at ONE 168: Denver, where he will face Josue Cruz in a flyweight Muay Thai contest at the Ball Arena in Colorado.
Ahead of their match, 'Jojo' discussed his fight plan for this upcoming match with the Mexican and shared it with the South China Morning Post in a recent interview. The Rentap Muay Thai representative said:
"I want to showcase my skills. I'm known for my punches, but in this fight, I'm planning to do other stuff. Use more of my legs, elbows, mix it up a bit."
ONE 168: Denver will take place at the Ball Arena in Colorado during U.S. primetime on Sept. 6. Tickets for the event are available for purchase on Ticketmaster.