'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,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'%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
Johan Ghazali looks to secure a bounce-back knockout win at ONE 168: Denver.
Ghazali, a 17-year-old Malaysian-American, made his ONE Championship debut in February 2023. The highly-touted prospect quickly made a name for himself with four consecutive wins, including three by knockout, on the Friday Fights series, leading to a lucrative six-figure contract on the primary roster.
In his American primetime debut, 'Jojo' pushed his promotional record to 5-0 with a 36-knockout win against Edgar Tabares at ONE Fight Night 17.
Unfortunately for him, he suffered a setback last time out at ONE 167, as the battle-tested veteran Nguyen Tran Duy Nhat pushed the 17-year-old to the limit before handing him his first loss under the ONE banner.
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On September 6, Ghazali has an opportunity to put the bantamweight division back on notice when he faces Josue Cruz at ONE 168: Denver. During an interview with Astro Awani, 'Jojo' had this to say about his upcoming fight:
"I hope I do my best. I hope, at least, like all my fights, I will get a KO. For this fight, I hope to get one in the second round."
ONE 168: Denver goes down inside the Ball Arena , representing the promotion's return to North America. Tickets for the highly-anticipated event featuring Johan Ghazali vs Josue Cruz can be found here.
Watch Ghazali's entire interview with Astron Awani below:
Johan Ghazali's path to ONE Muay Thai title shot
At 17 years old, Johan Ghazali's world championship potential doesn't take much of a hit after losing against the gritty Nguyen Tran Duy Nhat.
With that said, the Malaysian-American's path to a title shot does change slightly.
Firstly, Ghazali must focus on defeating Josue Cruz at ONE 168: Denver. On paper, 'Jojo' should be able to secure a knockout win against Cruz but overlooking a fighter on the ONE Championship roster could lead to a massive mistake.
Assuming he wins on September 6, Ghazali could need another win or two before facing a ranked opponent. Once he fights someone in the top five, it's only a matter of time before he fights for the ONE flyweight Muay Thai world title.
