“I just work with what I have” - Johan Ghazali on being a young gun in a shark tank of experienced veterans

Johan Ghazali knows that he will continuously be pitted against experienced opponents being a teen phenom but is not a bit worried about it as he has a set mindset on how to go about it.

The 17-year-old Malaysian-American fighter will return to action at ONE 168 in Denver, Colorado, U.S.A. on Sept. 6. He is going up against Josue 'Tuzo' Cruz, 28, in a flyweight Muay Thai clash.

It is part of the event marking the second live on-ground event of ONE Championship in the U.S., which will happen at the Ball Arena in Denver.

Speaking to Sportskeeda MMA in line with his scheduled match against Mexican Cruz, 'Jojo' shared his thoughts on going up against more experienced opponents, which has become regular at this stage of his fighting career.

Johan Ghazali said:

"My mindset is always the same. Cruz is like what, 10 or 11 years older than me? And I just came into this realization that every opponent I face inside the ONE Circle, they're all going to have more experience than me. So I just work with what I have, I use the advantages of my game and I'm just going to fight because yeah, I love to fight."

Johan Ghazali seeks to bounce back at ONE 168: Denver after absorbing his first defeat in ONE Championship in his last fight in June. He lost by unanimous decision to 35-year-old Nguyen Tran Duy Nhat of Vietnam.

Prior to the defeat, the Rentap Muaythai Gym affiliate was on an impressive five-match winning streak.

For his part, Cruz is out to claim a breakthrough victory in ONE after dropping his first two matches.

Tickets for ONE 168: Denver are now available on Ticketmaster. The event will be broadcast live and for free on U.S. primetime to North American fans with an active Amazon Prime Video subscription.

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Johan Ghazali looking forward to performing in front of family at ONE 168

Even before he secured a spot in ONE168: Denver, Johan Ghazali already expressed interest in being part of it for the opportunity to showcase his skills to a wider audience as well as perform in front of his family.

'Jojo' is featured in a flyweight Muay Thai showdown against Mexican Josue Cruz at the event happening on Sept. 6 in Denver, where he hopes to get back on the winning track after being tripped in his previous match.

In an interview with the South China Morning Post back in March, Johan Ghazali said if a ONE 168 spot was offered to him, he would accept in a heartbeat, saying:

"Of course, man. Of course. I have family in the U.S. They're in New Mexico. I saw the next fight is going to be in Denver. It's in Colorado. It's easy for my family to go up and watch.

"Of course, if they offer me that fight, I'm going. 100 percent. No doubt."

ONE 168: Denver will be a short turnaround for Ghazali, who was last in action in June.