“I still do what I need to do” - Johan Ghazali remains motivated to fight despite his ‘good life’

Teen phenom Johan Ghazali said he has enough in life to do without having a career as a professional fighter. Competing, however, is something he said he is passionate about, whis is why he finds ways to stay motivated in.

'Jojo' spoke about this following his impressive opening-round KO win at ONE 168 at the Ball Arena in Denver, Colorado, U.S.A. on Sept. 6, highlighting how above everything else, his motivation in fighting is deeply personal for him and something he takes a lot of pride in.

The 17-year-old Malaysian-American fighter told combat sports journalist Nic Atkin at the post-event media scrum for ONE 168:

"I grew up with everything, I can just stop fighting right now, and I'd be fine, honestly. So they say it's hard to wake up in silk sheets and still do what you need to do, but I'm in silk sheets and I still do what I need to do. So I think that's what sets me apart from other people."

Check out what he had to say below:

At ONE 168, Johan Ghazali encountered early trouble against Mexican opponent Josue Cruz, even had to endure a bloodied nose. He, however, forged ahead and went on a strong finish that culminated with a solid left hook to the head of 'Tuzo' in the closing seconds of the first round that ended the fight for good.

The win was a bounce-back for him after absorbing his first defeat in ONE Championship in his previous fight. He currently holds a 6-1 record since making his promotional debut in February last year.

The full replay of ONE 168 is available on demand for Prime Video subscribers in the United States and Canada.

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Johan Ghazali vows to continue pushing himself and improve

Johan Ghazali is happy and proud to have bounced back at ONE 168: Denver on Sept. 6 but he vowed to continue working on his game and improve as a fighter.

He shared this in the same post-fight interview with Nic Atkin following his KO win over Mexican opponent Josue Cruz at the Ball Arena in the 'Mile High City,' relaying that he is not going anywhere and continuing to make his way to the top and be a force in ONE Championship.

The Sarawak-based fighter said:

"I'm here to stay. I'm not going to lose one time and fall off. I still keep going. I'm still hungry. I'm still young. I'm still pushing my limits. So I did it for myself and my family."

Apart from bouncing back at ONE 168, Johan Ghazali's KO win also earned him a $50,000 performance bonus from ONE Chairman and CEO Chatri Sityodtong.