“We’ve changed a few things” - Johan Ghazali says he learned a lot after first setback in his career
Teenage phenom Johan Ghazali said for his scheduled return later this year in the United States, he has been implementing some changes in his training, especially since he is coming into it off his first defeat.
'Jojo' will feature in a flyweight Muay Thai clash against Mexican Josue 'Tuzo' Cruz at ONE 168 in Denver, Colorado, U.S.A., on Sept. 6. It is part of the event happening at the 21,000-seat Ball Arena in Denver and available live and for free on U.S. primetime to North American fans with active Amazon Prime Video subscription.
In an interview with Sportskeeda MMA, 17-year-old Malaysian-American fighter Ghazali provided details on how training has been like for him for his U.S. debut, 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."
Johan Ghazali was dealt his first defeat in six matches in ONE in his last fight in June. He lost to veteran Nguyen Tran Duy Nhat by unanimous decision.
His opponent at ONE 168, Cruz, meanwhile, is out to notch a breakthrough victory after dropping his first two matches in the promotion.
Tickets for ONE 168: Denver are now available on Ticketmaster.
Johan Ghazali says he is learning how to compete against experienced opponents in ONE
Johan Ghazali said he has come to a realization that being a teen phenom he will continuously be pitted against more experienced opponents at this stage of burgeoning fight career. He said he is managing it well and is satisfied with how his game is coming along.
The Rentap Muaythai Gym representative shared this in an interview with Sportskeeda MMA, underlining how he is staying confident against seasoned opponents and with his abilities,
He said:
"I just came into this realization that every opponent I face inside the ONE Circle, they're all going to have more experience than me. So I just work with what I have, I use the advantages of my game and I'm just going to fight because yeah, I love to fight."
Johan Ghazali plunges into action on Sept. 6 at ONE 168: Denver against Mexican opponent Josue Cruz, who at 28 years old is 11 years his senior.