Rising star Johan Ghazali will get the toughest test of his young career on Friday, Jun. 7, at ONE 167: Tawanchai vs. Nattawut II.
The 17-year-old will square off with Nguyen Tran Duy Nhat in an effort to prove he is ready for the upper echelon of ONE’s flyweight Muay Thai division.
His upcoming foe’s track record isn’t lost on Ghazali, and he understands the magnitude of his assignment next weekend.
“I will say that he’s really versatile. He has everything. He has hands, he has elbows, he has knees, he has kicks. But the one thing that stands out is his head kicks,” he told ONE.
“You know, I’ve seen him throw a few head kicks, and they can get dangerous. But I’ve prepared for it. I’m ready for it. So, we should have an answer for whatever he throws. We’re ready.”
An aging vet against a young upstart is the story of this match, with Nuy Dhat double “Jojo’s” age. Ghazali knows that his youth allows him better energy reserves, and he’s hoping to utilize them to find a finish inside Bangkok, Thailand’s Impact Arena.
“I feel like the advantage I have in this fight is my youth. I’m younger, I recover faster, I’m stronger, so I feel like this is something I can guarantee on my end,” the teen star remarked.
“But because he could be tough, I think I’m going to be in for a tough start. But I do know he will get tired in the later rounds, which then makes it easier for me to knock him out.”
Could it be hubris on the part of the 17-year-old? Perhaps. But Father Time does come for every athlete.
And though he admires “No.1,” Ghazali is a competitor. As such, he’ll be out to take control in any way he can when they clash in U.S. primetime.
“I respect him as a fighter and as an opponent, but I feel like he’s old, you know, and I think he doesn’t even have a solid chin. Hopefully, he’s out when I hit him just once,” he said.
As confident as he is, “Jojo” still anticipates a challenging night at the office.
He’s expecting a long battle – but hoping for a short one.
“I expect to have a fight, a proper one. I expect a tough fight. But like any other fight, I’m going for the knockout, hopefully in the later rounds, maybe round two or three. But I expect a tough fight,” Ghazali said.
“However, you know, if the opportunity comes in the first 16 seconds, I won’t think twice about taking it. I’ll take it without a doubt. Nothing tastes sweeter than a quick KO.”
The global Muay Thai rule set favors aggressive athletes who seek the finish. Those athletes are also routinely awarded performance bonuses, which excites Ghazali ahead of his ONE Championship return.
His ultimate goal is to get his hand raised no matter what, but the Malaysian-American phenom also wants to make sure the fans are excited by every second of action once the bell rings.
“I produce my style according to what the crowd wants because, at the end of the day, Muay Thai is also business. We’re here to make money. We’re here to put on a show. It’s not about putting in boring fights,” Ghazali said.
ONE 167 airs live and free on Friday, Jun. 7, from the Impact Arena in Bangkok. The action begins at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT on Prime Video for all U.S. and Canadian Amazon Prime subscribers.