"You guys are who I did it for" - Young phenom Johan Ghazali dedicates ONE 167 performance to loyal supporters

Next-generation ONE Muay Thai star Johan Ghazali stepped inside the Circle at ONE 167 last Friday, June 7, looking for his sixth-straight victory at the expense of veteran knockout artist Nguyen Tran Duy Nhat.

'Jojo' fought his heart out for the better part of three rounds, but Nguyen came away with the unanimous decision victory after an intense back-and-forth from two heavy hitters.

The 17-year-old had all the reason to voice his displeasure with his first-ever defeat, but instead credited his most ardent fans for giving him the strength to keep fighting.

Taking to his Instagram, Ghazali shared some photos of him spending time with the fans outside Impact Arena with the following caption:

"At the end of the day Win or Lose, you guys are who I do it for. I definitely felt the support in that arena today. Thank you. Sending love out to all my Fans. 👊🏻❤️💯"

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How Ghazali approached the fight was quite similar to how he has fought thus far, but 'No. 1' perfectly negated that game plan by forcing Ghazali to fight at a much slower pace, leaving him visibly frustrated multiple times.

ONE Championship chief places faith in Johan Ghazali's potential

Johan Ghazali's star potential has been compared to that of ONE flyweight Muay Thai world champ Rodtang Jitmuangnon, and ONE Championship Chairman & CEO Chatri Sityodtong believes that the defeat will only make him even stronger.

Chatri said the following at the ONE 167 post-event press conference:

"For Ghazali, Jojo is still young. Jojo is still 17. He has less experience. His opponent is the number one fighter from Vietnam. He's 35, and he has a lot more experience. I think that Jojo needs to gain a lot more experience in the future."

Fans in the United States and Canada can rewatch the entirety of ONE 167 via Prime Video.