“What dreams are made of” - Johan Ghazali prepared to ascend to superstar status, channels Lupe Fiasco’s mega hit
Athletes often use music as a huge boost of motivation in their careers, and young phenom Johan Ghazali is no different.
The Malaysian-American sensation took his inspiration from Lupe Fiasco's smash hit Superstar after his stunning knockout win over Josue Cruz.
Ghazali scored a come-from-behind KO finish over the Mexican slugger in their Muay Tha matchup at ONE 168: Denver on Sept. 6 at Ball Arena.
Taking to Instagram, Johan Ghazali practically predicted that he would rise to superstardom while channeling Fiasco's 2007 track Superstar in his post.
He wrote:
"What dreams are made of 🤲 Never related to lyrics more than this 😎🤣"
Superstar is one of the most critically acclaimed songs of the 2000s, with Complex placing it in the 95th place in its top 100 songs of the decade.
What makes Ghazali's connection to the song more interesting is that 'Jojo' was barely a year old when it was released in September 2007. Nevertheless, the song had such a positive impact that the 17-year-old star decided to use it as an inspiration.
Although Ghazali is far from reaching superstardom, the teenage phenom is determined to reach the heights of his idols Superlek Kiatmoo9 and Rodtang Jitmuangnon.
Ghazali is an impressive 6-1 in ONE Championship, which includes five straight wins during his start in the promotion.
Johan Ghazali explains where he got his unapologetic nature
There's no doubt that Johan Ghazali can hang in the big leagues, but some fans view his unapologetic nature the wrong way.
During the media scrum following his win over Cruz at ONE 168, Ghazali said he's always believed that he was destined for the global stage and his confidence was borne out of his strong belief in himself.
He said:
"I think 13 was too late, you know, maybe 10, nine. I don't know. I've always had confidence. I believed in myself before anyone believed in me before anyone thought I could go anywhere or do anything, I knew I could do it."