“I’m sure they’re proud of me” – Johan Ghazali says his schoolmates have been supportive of his martial arts ambition

17-year-old striking sensation Johan Ghazali has been one of the most exciting stories in ONE Championship throughout 2023.

The young prodigy has made a name for himself on the global stage, all while still being in secondary school.

Johan Ghazali isn’t living the life of any normal 17-year-old, but he says that at this stage in his career, the friends he has around him are more than used to him living a double life of sorts.

He spoke about the reaction of those around him to his career in his post-fight interview following a successful big show debut at ONE Fight Night 17:

“I think they're alright, you know. Some of them look up to me... I've been with the same classmates for like, seven, eight years, so they've seen the journey, they've seen me go to class with black eyes, with broken hands, and they see the hard work. So I'm sure they're proud of me.”

Watch the full interview below:

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Johan Ghazali will have done all of his friends and supporters proud at ONE Fight Night 17

After becoming the youngest ever six-figure contract winner from the ONE Friday Fights series, Johan Ghazali had a lot to live up to at ONE Fight Night 17.

The teenage phenom didn’t just announce himself with a win, he proved himself to already be a legitimate contender in the rankings.

36 seconds was all it took him for to steamroll past former world championship title challenger Edgar Tabares, who had longer fights with Rodtang Jitmuangnon and Elias Mahmoudi.

Ghazali is sure to be one to watch throughout 2024 after his incredible breakout year in 2023.

North American viewers with an active Amazon Prime Video subscription can rewatch all the action from ONE Fight Night 17 via the free event replay.