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Malaysian-American striking prodigy Johan Ghazali refuses to look at Josue Cruz's track record in ONE Championship to determine what he'll be up against at ONE 168: Denver.
The Rentap Muay Thai Gym star crosses paths with the Mexican slugger in a flyweight Muay Thai joust at the promotion's hotly anticipated spectacle in Ball Arena on September 6.
There, 'Jojo' is on the hunt for his second American primetime win to bounce back from his unfortunate loss to Nguyen Tran Duy Nhat at ONE 167 in June.
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Though many are favoring the young gun to be at his sparkling best given Cruz's form as of late, the 17-year-old isn't underestimating the challenge that he'll be up against in Denver, Colorado.
Johan Ghazali, in an exclusive interview with Sportskeeda MMA, shared:
"I mean, he's lost his last two by knockout, so it's hard to really say whether I've been impressed. Really, I might say I haven't been impressed. Although I feel that way, this doesn't mean I am underestimating him. I know what he brings."
Johan Ghazali explains why a KO could be in the offing vs. Josue Cruz
Despite paying respect to the Mexican's striking arsenal, the Sarawak-based fighter knows he'll still have it in him to do what he does best at ONE 168 — deliver a knockout.
After all, four of his five victories have come in that very manner. While he doesn't see a straightforward path to knock down the Mahmoudi Gym Mexico representative, he credits his arduous fight camp and game-planning as two crucial junctures that will lead to the spectacular in Ball Arena.
In the same exchange, Johan Ghazali told Sportskeeda MMA:
"I'd always say that I'm hunting for the knockout, you know. But against Cruz, it could be a bit harder to get. That's why my training has been focused on working on my power and the plan to break him down for the finish."
North American fans with an active Amazon Prime Video subscription can catch the entire ONE 168: Denver card live in U.S. primetime for free this Friday, September 6. Tickets are still available here.
